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Lasiommata maera (Linnaeus, 1758) Large Wall Brown (Benyamini, 2008g). On 31 Oct. 2021 a similar scenario took 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 3 - B | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Cyan
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place inside the Klil Butterfly Park in Karmiel N Israel, but this 133
time it was a territorial Polyommatus icarus that was driven
One of the most common satyrids in the Levant, inhabiting out its territory by a patrolling chrysippus male (DB pers. obs.).
Mediterranean areas, especially rural settlements, where
hostplants grow year-round. Flight is weak, jerky and close 0LJUDWLRQ With its slow, sailing and persistent flight, D.
to the ground. Males hilltop or fly among cliffs/vertical chrysippus can travel great distances, its migrations bearing
rock faces, where they search for females (Tomer, 2005; some resemblance to those of its more familiar American
Tolman 1997: 253; John & Skule, 2015: 324). Individuals relative, the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), similarly
frequently rest with wings half open after alighting on arriving in the spring from the south and migrating NW, with
rocks or on the ground. Mated females reject male offspring of the spring migrants returning south to overwintering
advances by repeatedly turning to face head to head, areas in autumn. The main difference between the two species © Dubi Benyamini
denying the male (wings vibrating to release scent scales) is that in D. chrysippus, the number of specimens involved is
a mating opportunity. In cop., the male is carried by the DGXOW very much smaller and they are generally solitary fliers, only 14
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female (Benyamini, 2001a, 2016d and breeding notes). HJJ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 rarely forming groups. Migration flight is about a metre above
lar v a
pupa
Territoriality was reported by Benyamini (2000e, 2004b, ground in a constant direction and speed; measured from a
2009c: 200), On 20 February 2021 in Beit Arye, at noon moving car, flight velocity of a migrant was found to be 20 k/h,
time, maera male intercepted Vanessa cardui and chased much slower than 35 k/h measured for Vanessa cardui.
it out of its territory (Leah & Eran Benyamini, pers. comms.
to DB); flying along ravines (mate location) was reported 3UHGDWRUV DQG 3DUVLWRLGV several green praying mantids
by Tomer (2008) and puddling by Tomer (2001b). (Sphodromantis viridis, Mantodea) were observed in lower
Jordan Valley’s plains of Jericho -270 m bsl, 20 km N of the city
%LRORJ\ on Calotropis procera with chrysippus larvae; suggesting they
may pray on these larvae (DB pers. obs.). Between 9/2014 and
)OLJKW SHULRG : January to early December, sl to 1200 7/2015 50% of 8 collected pupae at the same biotope were
m depending on location in Israel, early May to early infested by the parasitoid Brachymeria albicrus (Klug, 1834)
September, 1000-2400 m on Mt Hermon; 1545-2400 (Chalcididae - det. Dick Askew), while about 40 collected larvae
m at Al-Lazzab reserve Syrian Anti-Lebanon (Zarikian & were clean of any parasitoid. A green fresh pupa that was
Ļ
Ghrejyan, 2018); January-November, sl-1960 m in Cyprus collected on 10 June 2015 did not hatch and instead darkened
(Makris, 2003: 262); March-October, sl-2000 m in Hatay and after three weeks hatched the wasp. It proved that this
(Atahan et al., 2018: 99); “found in a succession of broods parasitoid lay its eggs only inside fresh pupae. On two occasions
almost all year round…a fresh brood in late October”, sl- L. m. orientalis Heyne , 1894 in Newe-Monoson and Beit Arye Israel DB bred chrysippus © Nitzan Cohen
1500 m in Lebanon (Larsen, 1974: 142); April-July, 100- larvae outdoors in netted cages. It did not prevent Pteromalus
1000 m in Jordan (Larsen & Nakamura, 1983; Katbeh- puparum (Pretomalidae) tiny larva-pupa parasitoids to enter the 15
Bader et al., 2003). breeding cages and infest the larvae. Ilan Ben-Yosef (Ma’agan
Michael, Israel) found on 14 Jan. 2016 in his Binyamina-Burg
/LIH KLVWRU\ Generally trivoltine, but uni- or bivoltine in the butterfly farm that he lost larvae to un-identified Tachinid fly
high mountains. Eggs are laid singly (sometimes in pairs) © Ofir Tomer (“same as in Vanessa cardui”). The Assassin bug Rhynocoris
on the hostplant’s leaves and are 1.2 mm in height, 0.8- punctiventris is fond of sucking pupae while eggs are the diet
0.9 mm wide and greenish-white when laid. L1 emerges 3UHGDWRUV parasitized eggs develop external black of ants and snails. Released fresh adults are often attacked
after 5-6 days and eats the eggshell. Measuring 3 mm in markings prior to the emergence of tiny Trichogramma in the air by pairs of the White-spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus
length, L1 is greenish-white and hairy; the head is light wasps (Benyamini, 1990: 53). A larval parasitoid, Agrypon xanthopygos) and the Yellow Jacket (Vespula germanica) may
brown with dark spots. The mature larva is 25-28 mm delarvatum (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), was reported also pray on chrysippus’ larvae despite their toxicity (Ronen
long, green with pale yellowish stripes along the body. The from Greece (Lafranchis, 2019). Pryov. pers. comms. to DB). Within breeding cages jumping
suspended pupa is 12-15 mm long and green, changing spiders may take heavy toll of sleeping helpless Queens (DB,
colour to brown-green before emerging after 10-12 days 'LVWULEXWLRQ breeding notes).
in June-October and 20 days in November. A complete
metamorphosis occupies ca. 70 days in winter (Eisenstein TL: Sweden. The species’ distribution ranges from N Africa 5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Many wild and cultivated Apocynaceae Ļ
2000: 216). Aestivation in the summer (between the to Europe, C Asia and the Himalayas, Turkey, Cyprus , Syria, (formerly Asclepiadaceae) including: Araujia sericifera [C,
second and third broods) and overwintering is in the larval Lebanon, Israel (S to Arad, N Negev), Jordan (‘scarce’ – S to L], Asclepias curassavica [C], Caralluma spp., Calotropis
stage, with growth slowing or stopping in midsummer high Dana Reserve and Petra?, Edom) the species’ southernmost procera, C. gigantea [C], Ceropegia woodii [C, L], Cynanchum
temperatures or in winter in colder areas. An aestivating limit (Benyamini, 2002a). Descends to the Judean Desert acutum [M], Hoya carnosa [C, L], Gomphocarpus fruticosus
late summer larva (illustr.) that resumed feeding in at Ein Fara, Wadi Kelt, NE Jerusalem at 315 m and may [C], G. physocarpus [C], G. sinaicus, Leptadenia pyrotechnica,
October, pupated in November 2015 and overwintered descend below sl around the Sea of Galilee. Absent from Pentatropis nivalis [?], Pergularia tomentosa, Periploca Ļ © Samir Hamza
to next spring; it was BD’s only experience of maera’s Sinai. Olivier (1993: 188) concluded that this ‘remarkably aphylla [?], Solenostemma arghel [?], Stephanotis floribunda
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pupal overwintering (DB, breeding notes; Lafranchis et al., variable’ species ‘has no distinct subspecies in Europe or [C, L], Trachomitum venetum, Rosa sp. [C, L] (Rosaceae) and 15
2011: 570). Turkey’. Antirrhinum majus [L] (Scrophulariaceae).
A very rare aberration (female) with additional large ocelli
5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Poaceae (Gramineae) –Andropogon on the fw was photographed by Yaron Mishan in nahal
distachyos, Cynodon dactylon, Dactyloctenium australe HaShofet (HaShofet stream) reserve, Ramot Menashe, 'LVWULEXWLRQ
[C], Festuca spp, Hordeum glaucum, Pennisetum Israel, on 20 Aug. 2021 - illustr. A similar female with two
cladestinum, Piptatherum miliaceum [C], Poa spp., ocellus on each fw was collected by Wolfgang ten-Hagen TL: ‘Canton’ (Guangdong), China. The species’ distribution
Saccharum officinarum [C], Schedonorus arundinaceus, (Mömlingen, Germany) in Armenia, and is in his collection ranges through the tropical and subtropical areas of the Old
Setaria adhaerens. Cyperaceae – Cyperus alternifolius and (ten-Hagen pers. comm. to DB). John coutsis (Athens, World: all of Africa S of the Atlas Mts., Egypt, Arabian Peninsula,
C. rotundus (Tomer, 1999b, 2001c, 2006b; Benyamini, Greece) noticed that a second detached fw ocelli is quite Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Spain,
1999b, 2003c). frequent in L. petropolitana (pers. comm. to DB). Portugal and north up to S France, Italy and Greece. © Samir Hamza
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