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Nymphalis polychloros (Linnaeus, 1758) Large Tortoiseshell

Occasional rare migrant that may establish temporary local has been confirmed as a host in other parts of the
colonies in the Levant. It resembles A. urticae, differing Mediterranean”. The only known single record for Israel
by its larger size, lack of white spots on the forewing was a female collected by Ofir Tomer in mid-May 1993
and the reduced dark areas on the hindwing upperside. in Mt Godrim, adjacent to the Lebanese border where
Males are territorial in the afternoon along tracks and Celtis australis grows wild (Benyamini, 2002d: 232; Ofir
forest margins, alighting on bare soil, stones, rocks, lower Tomer pers. comm. – illustr). Irregular appearances in the
tree trunks and walls awaiting females, they mud puddle southernmost regions of the Levant may be attributable
(DB pers. obs.), feed on ripening fruits (Lafranchis et al., to local climatic fluctuations. Rated Critically Endangered
2015: 430), tree sap and animal droppings (Warecki, (CR) in the Israeli Red List of Butterflies due to its very © Dubi Benyamini © Andre Coetzer © Dubi Benyamini
2010: 106). This large nymphalid is a rare butterfly in small and restricted population (Renan et al., 2022 (in 5 5 5 Israel, 24.6.2003
the Levant; Higgins observed a single specimen in June prep.)).
1962 in Mt Lebanon range. Three records are known
in Hatay until 2014 (Atahan, pers. comm.), Until 2016
the following researchers did not record it: Ellison & %LRORJ\ 11
Wiltshire (1939), Wiltshire (1940), Larsen (1974, 1975a),
Xavier & Xavier (2003, 2005), Aristos Aristophanous & )OLJKW SHULRG March, May-July and October (after summer
Christodoulos Makris (2014, 2016 - unpublished info.) aestivation?) 1200-2100 m in Mt Hermon (S Anti-Lebanon
and Balint et al., (2016). Moreover, Larsen (1975a) range), not observed every year – see 23 records between
speculated: “Collecting in Lebanon during 1970 to 1974 1991-2020 in table 1 below. April to July 300-1700 m in
has been so intensive that a resident colony is unlikely Hatay (Atahan et al., 2018: 48). Late March to July in the
to have been overlooked”, while most of the Levant’s Aammiq area E Lebanon (Beale & Sprenger, 2006).
records are from the Anti-Lebanon range: Nicholl (1901)
found it in Zabadani in early June 1900 and Cremona /LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine. In Europe, eggs laid in bands
collected it in Bludan around 1914. Seventy seven years around young shoots of the hostplant, 20-80 each batch, © Dubi Benyamini © Inbar Ktalav © Dubi Benyamini
elapsed until it was collected again on 8 June 1991 in yellowish turns grey with 7-9 vertical ribs and hatch after
Mt Hermon 1550 m by Zvika Avni and his sons Moran 2-3 weeks. Larvae are gregarious and develop together
and Dolev on Crataegus aronia– its possible host plant in a communal nest reaching 45 mm in 4-7 weeks,
there (Benyamini, 1992d). In the following years until “sometimes completely defoliating C. australis..Ulmus
2020 singletons were observed infrequently in May-June minor..Prunus avium..Pyrus spinosa and Salix alba “ in
& October between 1200 – 2100 m, usually at the upper Greece (Lafranchis, 2019). The mature larva is dark and
alpine tragacantic (spiny cushions) 2000 m vegetational heavily marked in gold along the sides and back that
belt – see attached table 1 of all Mt Hermon’s 23 known continue all over the body. The head is black with white
records until the publication of this Vol III. hairs, branched black spines and lower gold-coloured
%UHHGLQJ SRSXODWLRQ Finally the source of the Anti- spines are present on all segments. 25-28 mm long pupa
Lebanon singletons that appeared irregularly from resembles a dead leaf and is gold or brown, sometimes
“nowhere” was found by A Rocha* chapter Lebanon’s with metallic spotting, suspended from a twig or other
project at the Aammiq marsh and surrounding area in SW support, attached to it by the cremaster and hatches after
Beqaa Valley CE Lebanon; During a two year survey from 7-20 days. The adult hibernates through the winter and
1999 – 2001 they recorded 53 species of butterflies sometimes observed in lower and warmer localities (John
and one of their biggest surprises was the discovery of Coutsis, pers. obs.). (Lafranchis et al., 2015: 430-431;
a permanent flourishing population of N. polychloros – González Granados et al., 2009: 372-375).
possibly the origin of migrants to the whole Anti-Lebanon
range. The authors realized the importance of their 5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Ulmaceae - Celtis australis, Ulmus
discovery and wrote: “From late March into July, the Large spp.; Rosaceae - Crataegus aronia and other Crataegus
Tortoiseshell is common in the lower woodlands of the spp. [M], Prunus spp., Prunus ursina [?], Malus spp.,
Aammiq area. It is particularly frequent in the pine woods Pyrus spp., Salicaceae- Salix spp., Populus spp.
above Aammiq village. Together with other records from
around Lebanon, this appears to be a dramatic change 'LVWULEXWLRQ
in its status as it was previously recorded only as very
rare in the country” (Beale & Sprenger, 2006: 4). During TL: Sweden. The species’ distribution ranges from NW
participants Mt Hermon field trip of the 1st International Africa to C Europe, Turkey, Syria (Zarikian, 2016), Lebanon,
Congress of Middle Eastern Butterflies held in Jerusalem N Israel, Mt Hermon, Iran and the Himalayas. Probably
between 30.5-2.6.2008, Tony Pittaway (Oxfordshire, UK) extinct in Cyprus (Makris, 2003) and absent from Jordan
found on 31.5.2008 the only evidence of polychloros and Sinai. The species reaches its southern distribution
breeding in Mt Hermon and summarized his record: limit in South Lebanon and Northern Israel where it
“These are the L4-L5 moulted skins (in a larval nest) of is a very rare visitor. A flourishing colony existed in SW
N. polychloros on Celtis australis. Found on Mt. Hermon Beqaa valley E Lebanon at the foothills of Anti-Lebanon
just beyond where we parked the cars (lower station of western slopes during 1999-2001 survey, but its actual
the ski cable car to the top – at 1600 m). They were status twenty years later in 2020-2021 is unknown. The
on a small roadside tree just outside what appeared nominotypical ssp. flies in the Levant.
to a fenced installation in which the road terminated.
These were the only ones we found after searching all *-A Rocha International is a Christian conservation organization founded
the ornamental trees (illustr.). Although unusual, Celtis in the UK and active all over the world.
3DJH IURP ´%XWWHUÁLHV RI 6RXWKHUQ $IULFD 9RO ,9 %\ 9DQ 6RQ 'UDZQ E\ *RZDQ & &ODUN
164 173

2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 164 12/30/2021 4:27:52 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 173 12/30/2021 4:28:20 PM