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Hipparchia (Neohipparchia) statilinus (Hüfnagel, 1766) Tree Grayling

A rare satyrine of Northern Levant where it is confined to 5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV in Europe Poaceae (Gramineae)
Hatay and N Syria. (Atahan et al., 2018: 75, Günter Müller – Anisantha, Brachypodium, Bromus, Bothriochola,
pers. comm. and Murad Salimeh Syrian Butterflies web Dactylis, Deschampsia, Festuca, Lygaeum, Poa and
site). On 4-8 August 1999 fresh-looking statilinus males Stipa spp. (Tolman & Lewington, 1997: 196; Tuzov et al.,
#
and females were observed in Gebel el Ansariya, NE 1997(1): 242).
Latakia near Al Hajar between 1300 to 1500 m and again
on 23 September 2018 in “Latakia mountains, coastal
area NW Syria” these locations are at the northern part 'LVWULEXWLRQ
of the Syrian coastal range and not far from the Turkish
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populations exhibit isolated statilinus communities at NW Africa in Morocco, N Algiers and NW Tunisia, from © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Vladimir Savchuk © Vladimir Savchuk
its southern distributional limit in NW Levant, which is Portugal across S & C Europe to Turkey, European
farther emphasized by the lack of records from environs Russia, N Syria, Caucasus, Transcaucasus and NW Iran.
of Aleppo in NW Syria unless Zarikian 2016 overlooked Numerous local forms were described but not accepted
it being similar externally to Hipparchia fatua and H. as full subspecies except ssp. sylvicola Austaut from NW
pisidice though lighter and smaller. Likewise Hesselbarth Africa. The nominal ssp. Hipparchia s. statilinus flies
et al., (1995(3): 782) did not report it in Hatay in their in N Levant. Classified by Kudrna (1977) in subgenus
distribution map. Habitats reported as dry rocky, steppe, Neohipparchia (Sbordoni et al., 2018: 101).
among scrubs or open Pine forests. In a detailed article
Pinzari (2009) described courting and mating behaviour
of H. statilinus in the Central Appennines (Italy). Following
Tinbergen (1972) she described six courtship steps in an
Ethogram i.e.: “Fanning”, “Circling”, “Bowing”, “Antenna
orientation”, “Copulation attempt” and “Clasping” – see © Vladimir Savchuk
introduction to Hipparchia.
© Stav Talal
© Stav Talal © Shalev Weisman
%LRORJ\

)OLJKW SHULRG Late June to October sl. to 2500 m;
July-August 1300 – 1800 m in S Amanos Mt, Hatay, S
Turkey, where it was first discovered on 16 August 2014
(Atahan et al., 2018: 75). The NW Syrian specimens
were collected in early August and photographed in late
September.

/LIH KLVWRU\ LQ (XURSH univoltine, eggs laid singly on
dry grasses and other substrates up to 30 cm over the
soil, white, barrel shape, wider base than H. fatua’s © Wolfgang Wagner
narrower one, slightly taper upwards, one mm tall, with © Stav Talal © Stav Talal
14-16 vertical ribs, and relatively larger than other Migrating male in Kibbutz Mesilot, -112 m (bsl) 2 km W Beit She’an, C Jordan Valley, Israel, 19 May 2020.
Hipparchia’s eggs. L1 hatches after 14-15 days and eats
most of the eggshell, light brown with longitudinal strips
tapers backwords and starts a 4-6 weeks late summer
diapause, commence eating young sprouts of grasses
by late October. Until late February will overwinter in
diapause (except on warm days), then proceeds growing
to L4 as green typical satyrinae larva. Attaining L5 or L6
as 33 mm long with mid-dorsal white margined green,
sub-dorsal and side lines are white, light brown and
reddish-brown, six thin dark-brown lines proceed to the
larval forehead. L1-L3 feed by day, L4 by day and night
and L5-L6 are nocturnal. It will pupate in a subterranean
chamber built of bonded grit, 10-20 mm beneath surface.
The pupa is 16 mm long, reddish-brown/chestnut always
lay bottom-up and will hatch after 3-6 weeks. Females
start hatching ten days after the first male. Males are
territorials perching on stones. (Granados et al., 2009:
466-467; Jutzeler & Russell, 2021; Lafranchis et al.,
2015: 710-711; Pinzari, 2009; Warecki pers. comm. to
DB).

© Adam Warecki © Ma’ayan Ashkenazi © Ma’ayan Ashkenazi

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