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Hipparchia tewfiki (Wiltshire, 1949) Arabian Grayling Hipparchia pisidice Klug, 1832 Sinai Grayling

Known also as the Arabian Rockbrown, this is a Palaearctic in “joint (in cop.) flights” (Jem Babbington Birds of Saudi Flies short distances before resting with wings closed
relict, locally common high mountain, hilltopping Grayling Arabia web site and pers. comm.). On 25 September on rocks, rocks with white lichens (Tsuk, 2016), tree
of SW Arabia, confined to “very rocky shrub strewn slopes 1982 a female was collected by Pittaway (nectaring?) trunks and crevices, or on the ground, where H. pisidice
with an abundance of grass” (its LHP) (Pittaway, 1985), on Dodonaea viscosa (Sapindaceae), an unrecorded is well camouflaged due to its light underside colouring.
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that expanded along western Arabia to NW Hejaz in Tabuk sticky nectar source, at 14 km N Baha, Asir, Juniper In the heat of the day, especially in desert areas, adults
province where they may overlap with its closest Satyrinae zone (specimen in coll. Benyamini). Collenette (1985: congregate in small numbers in shady places among
sp. - Hipparchia (Pseudotergumia) pisidice; in May 2001 439) photographed it at 18 km SW of Taif among granite rocks, holes in trees and cave entrances, remaining on
a male and female H. tewfiki were observed in Gebel boulders at 5500 ft (1676 m) and described it as: “An alert and taking to the wing at any movement or rustle. In
el Lawz between 1400-1900 m. This is a northwards erect leafy bushy shrub 1.5 m high faintly aromatic, the central Negev highland desert in Israel, a gathering
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expansion of about 950 km from its recorded northern green and purplish flowers 5 mm wide.” (lekking) of males in holes of old Pistacia atlantica trees
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limit at Taif, CW Saudi Arabia (Benyamini & Müller, 2020; was reported by Kark & Shmidt (1999). Both sexes
Pittaway pers. comm.). Larsen (1983: 441) suggested that aestivate in summer, with females ovipositing after
together with three more isolated congeners: H. (P.) wyssi %LRORJ\ mid-August. Adults are occasionally seen nectaring on
in the Canary Islands, H. (P.) fidia in NW Africa and the Limonium pruinosum, Acacia salicina and Eucalyptus
Iberian Peninsula and H. (P.) pisidice in the Lavant all four )OLJKW SHULRG affected by local climate and is “not spp. in the central Negev mountains, on Eryngium
are “descendants of a joint ancestor..(that lived)...in North synchronic throughout its range” (Larsen, 1983): May- glomeratum, on cultivated Lantana montevidensis,
Africa...back in the Miocene or early Pliocene periods”. October above 2000 m in SW Arabia, year round except Myoporum parvifolium var. “Broad”, Pentas lanceolata,
The impressive description of the Arabian Grayling by May, July and September in Yemen; May between red flowers of Salvia sp., Viola tricolor or puddling and © Yoav Silbert
Wiltshire (1949) is based on 54 types and 8 additional 1400-1900 m in Jebel el Lawz, Hejaz, NW Saudi Arabia are readily attracted to fermenting fruits of e.g. grapes,
specimens that were collected in W Aden Protectorate, (Benyamini & Müller, 2020). figs & slices of water melons. On 16 August 2005 at
Yemen and Asir in SW Saudi Arabia by: H. St. J. Philby, Dr Sde-Boker C Negev, Israel, two adults were observed
P. W. Petrie, members of the British Museum expedition to /LIH KLVWRU\ unknown, polyvoltine? early stages should in pistachio (Pistacia vera) grove on leaves with aphids
S-W Arabia (H. Scott & E. B. Britton between Oct. 1937 & be similar to H. (P.) pisidice. (Aphidoidea, Fordinae) possibly sipping their honeydew
March 1938) and Middle East Anti-Locust Unit member A. (Feingold, 2005c). On 27 September 2002 at Beit Arye
R. Waterston in August 1944. All specimens were collected 5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Poaceae (Gramineae) spp. C Israel, a territorial male intercepted a Pontia daplidice
over ca. 2000 m up to 3000+ m. Wiltshire dedicated the (Pieridae) from its perch in a hollow of a dry stone wall
new sp. to Mohammed Tewfik Effendi, its first collector (Benyamini, 2003f). Adults in cop. are rarely recorded,
(a female) on 3rd May 1936 at Gebel Mataran, Yemen. 'LVWULEXWLRQ such was the couple observed on 25 September 2002
In addition its male genitalia was compared to H. (P.) at 12:15 in Beit Arye (320 m) C Israel, where a fresh
pisidice from the Sinai Peninsula and Israel (“Palestine”) male that just stopped its summer aestivation carried a
and found “slightly differently shaped valve”. Externally TL: “Arif, Arabia, 28.xii.36 Leg. H. St. J. Philby”. Yemen smaller worn female (Benyamini, 2003g).
Wiltshire found it “rather smaller” than pisidice “and (incl. Aden), 2000-3000+ m: Jebel Dawran, J. Girwan
distinguished...by its larger black oval forewing ocelli, (Ghaiman 9 miles SE of Sanaa), top of J. Hada 3048
narrower male sexual brand, less emarginate hindwing, m (hilltopping specimen), J. Harir, J. Jelal above Nakil %LRORJ\
less white hindwing fringe, more monotonous underside” Isla, J. Jihaf, J. Mataran, J Sabr S Taiz & Suk al Khamis.
and wings ground colour brown rather than grey/black SW Saudi Arabia: along the Asir Juniperus and Olea )OLJKW SHULRG Israel - late May to early November sl-1200
in pisidice. “H. tewfiki.. was the commonest butterfly in escarpment over 2000 m south of Taif/Al Hada, Abha, m; Mt Hermon S Anti-Lebanon - observed only twice on
the Asir during July, the wettest month of the year. Flew Arif, 14 km N Baha Juniper zone, Bani Saad 80 km SE 3 October 2013, 1390 m and 8 September 2014, 2000
in short bursts very close to the ground in grassy/rocky Taif, Haq, Hubait, Mibrata, Musaira, Shithath & Suda to m (both Tsuk, Israeli BMS data bank); Lebanon – July to
areas, but spent a great deal of time on the ground the Yemenite border (Wiltshire, 1949; Larsen 1983: 441; early September Sl to 850 m (Aley) (Larsen 1974: 133);
sunning itself during the brief interludes of sunshine, or Pittaway, 1985; Jem Babbington (pers. comm.); NHMUK Syria – dates not specified (Zarikian, 2016); Turkey – no © Shalev Weisman
absorbing heat from the rocks. Very territorial -- always & DB collections). Hejaz NW Saudi Arabia: Jebel el Lawz further data (Karaçetin & Welch, 2011); Jordan – late
chasing others of its kind which intruded” (Pittaway pers. (Benyamini & Müller, 2020). May to October from Deir Alla (-220 m, bsl) Jordan Valley,
comm.) he also noted that during its main mid-summer N Mediterranean zone to Jebel Um ad-Dami 1740 m on
flight season of 2-3 “overlapping generations” the the southern border with Saudi Arabia; S Sinai massif
weather is “cool, cloudy, and wet…when the Asir catches end of May to mid November 1100–2000+ m, earlier and
the edge of the Indian monsoon” and the Juniper zone is lower in N Sinai (Benyamini, 1984 and pers. obs.); NW
green with permanent foodplant grasses, and added that Saudi Arabia June (Pittaway, 1985 & Wiltshire, 1986).
it is “..not on the wing during mid-winter when there can
be frosts and even snow”. It does not behave like other /LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine. A one-year complete life cycle
Mediterranean Hipparchia spp., having mid-summer was recorded in the wild and in the lab in Israel; early
long aestivation period, because “… the high Asir (has summer 2011 was unusually rich of pisidice in Sde Boker
an) added complication...of wet and cool midsummer, C Negev (475 m); first adults emerged normally on early-
which gives this species an extended flight period, i.e. mid June (16th of June) and by mid-August following
2-3 seasons”. More than three decades elapsed before partial summer aestivation recently mated females
the same Asir zone was visited on 9 September 2018 by started to lay eggs (Evyatar Feingold pers. comm.). On
the British birder Jem Babbington at Wadi Grosbeak, near 16 August at 11:45 DB observed a female walking in
Bani Saad village, 80 km SE Taif (2087 m GPS reading) jumps at the bottom of a breeding cage, occasionally
where H. tewfiki were flying “in a wadi with dry stone walls vibrated her wings and stopped to bend her abdomen
and rocks but occasional large trees and plants including and lay an egg on a dry stem of her local preferred
juniper and acacia”. Typical Hipparchia’s ground courting hostplant Piptatherum miliaceum (illustr.). One long
ritual of the “Arabian Rock Brown” was photographed stem with nine eggs was taken by DB to Beit Arye C Israel
(illustr.), it lasted “more than 30 minutes” and proceeded © Jem Babbington (320 m) where breeding proceeded in the lab. Apparently © Ofir Tomer

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