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                   Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758)                             Red Admiral                                         Byblia ilithyia                                  Byblia anvatara

                                                                                                                                     (Drury, 1773) Spotted Joker                      (Boisduval, 1833) African Joker
                   A migrant species having a strong rapid flight and exhibiting   140
                   hilltopping & territorial behaviour, often returning to its   120       c
                   chosen sunny spot or perching from a branch. The species   a
                   flies in urban areas and has extended its distribution due   100
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                   to man’s activities. In the last decade, it has been noted   No of specimens  80   d
                   that immigrants arriving from the north in autumn (usually   60   b
                   October - November), hibernate all over Israel and even in
                                                                       40
                   Sasa on the northern border with Lebanon (Gadi Ish-Am                                      e
                   pers. comm.) but this phenomenon is mostly expressed   20
 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 10 - A | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Magenta
 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 10 - A | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Yellow
 #21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 10 - A | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Black
 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 10 - A | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Cyan
                   on large  Eucalyptus and  Acacia trees in central lowland   0  SEP  OCT * *  DEC  JAN *  FEB *  MAR  APR  MAY  JUN  JUL  AUG                         DGXOW                               DGXOW
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                   areas in Israel and in the Northern Negev where numerous   Fig 1.- Annual activity in C & S Levant:        DB data,         BMS Data;     Larvae                       lar v a 1  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10  11  12                      lar v a 1  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10  11  12
                                                                                                              *
                                                                                                                                                                                                      pupa
                                                                                                                                                   pupa
                   adults are observed, and by April/May will fly northwards,
                   disappearing for the summer months. BMS Israel and   The species appears unable to establish permanent
                   DB records, 588 specimens (2010-2021 in 25 to 200   colonies in S Sinai massif, despite the presence of
                   fix monitoring tracks) and 612 specimens (1970-2019)   Parietaria alsinifolia (Urticaceae) hostplants (Benyamini,
                   respectively are drawn in Fig 1.                  1984).
                   $QQXDO EHKDYLRXU LQ &   6 /HYDQW  (Fig 1)         2WKHU UHFRUGV LQ WKH /HYDQW DQG &\SUXV
                   D  Influx of migrants from the north starting in late   +DWD\  6 7XUNH\   “common but in few numbers...throughout
                   September and gets its peak in October – November; Their   all months of the year” (Atahan et al., 2018: 51).
                   flight is inconspicuous, as singletons, never in swarms but   &\SUXV  autumn migrants (and rarely local Red Admirals)
                   sometimes tens may accumulate on  Eucalyptus,  Pinus,   take advantage of a flush of fresh hostplant growth
                   Ficus or Acacia trees e.g. in Arad NE Negev on large Acacia   induced by seasonal rainfall, the species’ behaviour is
                   salicina trees in bloom between 1 October to 12 November   similar to Israel; here they have been observed oviposition
                   1991 Ben Fisher and his mother observed numerous Red   throughout all months of winter and spring (Makris, 2003:
                   Admirals. In the first week of October, during several days   230; pers. comm. to DB).
                   they observed about 30 specimens on one tree in Yoshiyahu   (OVHZKHUH
                   str. (illustr. 1). Other butterflies observed together with the   *UHHFH  In the S. of Greece they overwinter and are                                                    © Colin Congdon
                   atalantas included: Vanessa cardui and the blues: Azanus   most common in the fall and early spring, also regularly   © Nancy van der Poorten
                   ubaldus,  Deudorix livia and  Leptotes pirithous (Fisher &   appearing from hibernation on warmer days in winter. But
                   Benyamini, 1991). On their way southwards as far as S   they also exist all through summer, but in smaller numbers
                   Sinai they were observed in Mitspe-Ramon C. Negev (Dotan   at low altitudes and larger ones at higher elevations. JC
                   Rotem, 10/2012 pers. comm.), in Neot Smadar S Negev on   “cannot recall of them ever totally disappearing from the                 © Nancy van der Poorten  © Nancy van der Poorten
                   13 October 2018 feeding on rotten dates (Adi Dafni & Benny   scene” (John Coutsis – pers. comm.).                 %LRORJ\
                   Shalmon pers. comm. - illustr. 2), Uvda airport territorial   6SDLQ  DQG  1:  $IULFD  “In the Mediterranean (e.g.
                   male on a Washingtonia palm tree – 26 November 2002 (EF   Catalonia) they are breeding all the year round because
                   pers. comm. to DB), peak of Shlomo Mt (700 m) near Eilat a   there are available hostplants during the summer here.   )OLJKW SHULRG  May (YAR, Beni Mansour, Larsen. T. 1982:   © Colin Congdon  © Colin Congdon  © Colin Congdon
                   hilltopping territorial atalanta male drived-out a male cardui   In Catalonia (and generally in the north) geography is   33); October (Dhofar. Larsen, T., 1979); Early May, July,
                   (18 November in the mid-1980’s, Benny Shalmon pers.   very heterogeneous and plenty of mountains that are         October & early November (Dhofar, Schmidt et al., 2020);
                   comm.) and Eilat’s birds sanctuary within the ornithological   quite green. Southern Spain is generally much drier, but   Elsewhere year round.
                   park and birdwatching centre IBRCE (atalanta’s wings were   there are still areas with some hostplant growing. But in
                   found in the bird’s trap on 31 October 2002 – David Shahak   the mountains they do not breed in winter... In any case,                                             %LRORJ\
                   pers. comm. to DB).                               there is a clear influx of European specimens in autumn         /LIH KLVWRU\  not reported in the Levant. Elsewhere: the
                   E  Overwintering adults on trees from December to February.   (Usually in October) that mix with locals…they do not reach   egg is uniquely shaped among the region butterflies – it   )OLJKW SHULRG  May (YAR, Wadi Sughna, Larsen 1974, 1979,
                   On warm winter days they bask in the sun, flying shortly   far south. The southernmost specimens we have seen     is white, barrel-shape and has ribs that carry long spines,   1980 & 1982). Elsewhere year round. In Yemen flies from
                   to nectar, several may lay eggs on freshly grown Urtica &   are in the Anti-Atlas range in Morocco (at 29°59’16’’ N is   making the egg resemble a pin-cushion. The L5 has green   900 m to 2000 m.
                   Parietaria LHPs following winter rains to establish a local   about 155 km N of S Sinai (latitude) southern distribution   and brown strips along the body, each segment have
                   winter-spring brood (Caspi, 2006).                limit – DB). In their way north in spring, they usually fly
                   F  Resume activity gradually from January pending external   together with cardui indeed (they use the same winds in   branching spines. The head has two “horns” covered   /LIH KLVWRU\  same as in Byblia ilithyia.
                   temperatures with peak numbers in March, some mate   the same dates)” (Gerard Talavera and Roger Vila, CSIC-      with small spines. The pendulous pupa is brown. (Van
                   and lay eggs (2nd brood). On 6 March 2019 five adults,   UPF, Barcelona, Spain, pers. comms. to DB).              der Poorten, G. M. & N. E., 2016; pers. comm.).  5HFRUGHG  KRVWSODQWV  Dalechampia and  Tragia spp.
                   possibly after overwintering were observed by Dubi & Leah   6ZLW]HUODQG  in a pilot study a mark-release alpine insect                                             (Euphorbiaceae).
                   Benyamini at NW Dead Sea coast -350 to -375 m (bsl).  migration project, the Menz Lab. Institute of Ecology and   5HFRUGHG  KRVWSODQWV   Dalechampia,  Tragia and
                   G  April-May fly northwards to Cyprus, Turkey or S & E Europe.   Evolution of the University of Bern together with their
                   Breeding spring-early summer population will emerge and   partners in lepido.ch marked forewings of ca 7000 adults   Jatropha? spp. (Euphorbiaceae).               'LVWULEXWLRQ
                   fly northwards too.                               by colour spots during 29-30 September 2016 (illustr. 3)                                                         TL: Madagascar. Distributed from sub-Saharan Africa to
                   H  June-September singletons remain in urban areas where   and released them in two mountain passes: Col de Bretolet   'LVWULEXWLRQ                                Ethiopia, Sudan, S Egypt?, Madagascar, Comoro Islands
                   irrigation of gardens will support their  Parietaria  judaica   and Col de la Croix in SW Switzerland asking people to   TL: Senegal. Distributed from Senegal to Nigeria (W   and the Arabian Peninsula. The Levant’s specimens belong
                   perennial LHP in the summer months, other adults survived   collect them in S France, S Spain & S. Italy and report to   Africa), from South Africa (S & E Africa) to Eritrea,   to ssp.  B.  a.  acheloia  (Wallengren, 1857), TL: “Caffraria”
                   in mountainous areas. In fifty years and 612 observations   <tagging@grnx.ch> see: http://insectmigrtion.wordpress.  Ethiopia, (Sudan & SE Egypt?), the Arabian Peninsula   (South Africa) – S Africa to Ethiopia, Sudan, S Egypt?,
                   DB recorded only 9 (1.47%) specimens in June, 5 (0.81%)   com/red-admiral-migration/red-admiral-marking/.
                   in July, 11 (1.79%) in August and 12 (1.96%) in September   Until the publication of this vol III in November 2021 the   (Dhofar, Oman & Yemen), India, Pakistan and Sri-Lanka.   Western Saudi Arabia (Asir, Pittaway (1985) as  B.  a.
                   highlighting four months of  atalanta‘s practical absence   results of this interesting experiment were not published.   (Larsen, 1979; Larsen & Larsen, 1980: 50; Larsen,   acheloia N to Hejaz ?) & Yemen as B. a. acheloia in several
                   from southern Levant - Fig 1.                     I know of only one marked specimen that was observed in         1982: 32; Larsen 1983: 423; Schmidt et al., 2020).   places (Larsen, 1982: 32).
              156                                                                                                                                                                                                                        149
           2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd   156                                            12/30/2021   4:27:37 PM  2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd   149                                   12/30/2021   4:27:24 PM
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