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Hipparchia syriaca Staudinger, 1871 Eastern Rock Grayling 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 6 - B | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Cyan

An alert species that congregates in shade among trees in easing forward without moving the legs, enshrouded the
summer, moving rapidly from one resting place to another female’s wings, always covering the female’s wings. This
if disturbed and found in a variety of habitats from sea continued for 10 minutes until the male walked around
level (less commonly) to altitudes up to 2000 m or higher. female, perhaps with the intention of copulating, but the
Usually alights on trunks of pines where it is very well female crawled away. Two or three minutes later, both
camouflaged, becoming almost invisible. A known mud repositioned again and remained motionless, with the
puddler, H. syriaca is rarely seen nectaring but has been male again in the alert position, awaiting a response from
reported feeding on fermenting fruit, tree sap (Makris, the female. Once again, the female moved away, the male
2003: 240) and possibly at seawater (John & Tennent, following and attempting to contact the female’s head with
2012). In June 2012, H. syriaca was seen nectaring on his antennae, an act that was met with a sudden strike of DGXOW
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Lantana, possibly seeking fermenting nectar (John & the female’s wings. Attempts at mating ceased after two HJJ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
lar v a
Skule, 2016: 317). On 12 July 2001, three fresh (possibly minutes, each taking up a random position in the breeding pupa
hilltopping) females were collected by DB at the summit cage. The cages were inspected every hour, but no further
RI -HEHO $NUD 0W .HO =L\DUHW 'DøL P QRZDGD\V D courtship attempts were observed on that day or the
military base), South Hatay. The following day, another following day. Three days later, on 16 September, and again © Moshe Laudon
female was taken at the summit of Nur Daglari (1650 m), on the 23rd at 13:45PM, a similar ritual was observed at
NE of Belen, C Amanos Mt, Hatay. Hilltopping females, fresh Beit Arye; the male, positioned head-to-head or behind the
in appearance, along with worn males, were observed on female enfolded the female’s wings with his forewings to
24 September 2013 at 1100 m at the top of the S Amanos release androconial scales and pheromones. A year later,
ridge between Serinyol and Arsus. Bálint et al. (2016) on 13 September 2013, in a further attempt at breeding
noted that syriaca is a ‘strongly hill-topping species’ like (this time using a large outdoor cage), three more matings
their other European relatives, H. fagi, H. genava and H. (of bred specimens) were noted, commencing after 15:00
hermione. Tolman & Lewington (1997: 191) reported male in the afternoon and lasting three to three and a half hours
aggregation on tree trunks (Lekking?). until ca. 30 minutes before sunset (19:30). In the last
three matings, the closed wings of males and females were
aligned side by side, while the wings of female that carried
%LRORJ\ a male in cop., enclosed those of the male. Egg-laying was
observed between 10 September and 8 October, the last Syrien, Latakia, 1300 m. 14-15.8.1995
)OLJKW SHULRG Cyprus: May to early November, sl to the adult (a female) surviving until early November. Eggs were
summit of Troodos at 1950 m; Hatay: June to October, sl to laid singly, 60% laying on Piptatherum stalks, 30% on the
2000 m; Lebanon: early June to August from intermediate lower corners of the breeding cage (possibly simulating
elevations to 1700 m. (Atahan et al., 2018: 80; Larsen, the shaded lower crevices of tree trunks) and 10% on
1974: 131-132; Makris, 2003: 240). Hyparrhenia grass blades. Elliptical to barrel-shaped with
a round top, the fresh egg is white, 1-1.1 mm high and 1
/LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine. H. s. cypriaca (an endemic ssp. to mm maximum diameter, with 22-24 fine longitudinal ribs, C. p. transiens Zerny, 1932
Cyprus) emerges in early summer, with both sexes spending the egg becoming grey before eclosion after 5-10 days. L1
much time in partial aestivation during the hotter months. began emerging at Beit Arye ca. two weeks before the first
Breeding of ssp. cypriaca was carried out simultaneously autumn rain, and were noted eating the eggshell. The L1 is
at Alethriko near Lárnaka, Cyprus (by Marios and Aristos 2-2.5 mm long, light brown with mid-dorsal and subdorsal
Aristophanous) and Beit Arye, Israel (DB). Several males brown stripes and four thinner longitudinal ones, two Israel, Galilee, Kfar Shamai, 19.3.2019
and females were collected between 8 and 10 September between the darker stripes and two below, just above the
2012 on trunks of Carob, Pine and Pistacia near the prolegs. The head is decorated with tiny black dots on
village of Korfi, ca. 10 km NW of Lemesós. A preference its periphery and two large lateral black spots above the
for roosting on old trees with hollowed trunks was noted. mandibles. Larvae have a tendency to fall from dry grass
The adults were caged immediately in the field, provided when disturbed. In the lab, larvae consumed fresh blades
with green perennial hostplant grasses of Piptatherum and of Piptatherum, Hyparrhenia and Brachypodium spp.,
Hyparrhenia spp. and cut fresh figs. Courting, mating and their colour changing to green with additional longitudinal
egg-laying were observed a short time afterwards, and it reddish-brown, white and dark brown stripes. In the
was clear to us that in the wild, these activities had begun wild, they enter late summer/autumn/winter diapause,
several days or even a few weeks earlier. A single mating developing slowly with the availability of fresh grass
was observed in Alethrico on 9 September, and courtings following the autumn/winter rains, feeding on warmer days
were observed on 13, 16 and 23 September 2012. At and reaching maturity in early April. The fully grown, 40
Alethriko, where specimens were caged outdoors, Aristos mm long larva tapers to the anal end and is light brown
Aristophanous noted that courting activity began when with longitudinal stripes of varying shades of brown. Six Egypt, S Sinai, Saint Katherine, 1600-2000 m,
the cage became exposed to sunshine at around noon. At stripes extend to the head; the mid-dorsal stripe, heavily Spring 2001, leg. Mike James
30 RQ 6HSWHPEHU ʇ DQG ʆ H. syriaca were seen marked in black at the rear, progressively lightens and
head-to-head, 1 cm apart. The wings of the female were finally disappears towards the front. The L5 burrows into
closed in a resting position, with antennae held in an open soft soil or grit to prepare a flexible subterranean pupation f. hanifa
‘v’-shape; the wings of the male were in the alert position chamber constructed of silk to which soil particles are
(ocelli of upf visible) and antennae held in a shallow ‘v’, in bonded. Alternatively, on hard soil the pupa is formed
contact with the female’s antennae. The female was seen to under litter, always ventral side up. The pupa is 18 mm
open and close the wings ca. once per second, whereupon long and 7.5 mm in maximum width, the smooth, glossy
the male immediately responded by opening wings and, wing-cases are orange-brown, the thorax and abdomen © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
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