Page 186 - PARPAR-4

Melitaea (super-species phoebe) & M.telona complex

Hesselbarth et al., [1995(2): 1027-1033] “bible” summarized The telona complex in the Lervant harbour two/three
the knowledge on the phoebe “super-species” at the end of different species, detailed below. Three characters
the 20th century; accepting M. (p.) phoebe for 39 districts highlight the differences:
in Turkey, M. (phoebe) punica for NW Africa (Algiers) and
#
M. (phoebe) punica telona as the south-east clad for Israel, a. 1XPEHU RI DQQXDO ´JHQHUDWLRQVµ that is controlled © Dubi Benyamini © Ofir Tomer
Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Transcaucasia, Anatolia, genetically with risk spreading strategy not unknown in 5 4
Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia to Austria + 51 districts in Rhopalocera but is unique among Levant Melitaea spp.
Turkey. Over ten sspp. were sunk to new subjective synonyms M. telona one annual brood from mid March in southern
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 12 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Magenta
and “ornata” was not mentioned. On 2005 M. ornata was warm biotopes to mid July in Mt Hermon 2000 m.
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 12 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Yellow
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 12 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 12 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Cyan
separated from M. phoebe by Varga et al., and by Russell M. klili Q VS has three annual broods
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et al., who found the red heads of L4-L5 larvae of Melitaea 1st brood: 27 Feb. (lab.) - 18 Apr. HJJ 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
lar v a
ornata and M. telona unlike black heads of M. phoebe and 2nd brood; 24 May - 11 June pupa
treated telona as syn. of the senior M. ornata. In 2006 he 3rd brood: 17 June - 6 Aug.
visited Israel with John Tennent and together with DB and Dates accrd. DB’s records
Guy Pe'er “proved” that our “ornata” (telona) are red headed
too (Russell et al., 2007). DB doubted the real identity of E 0RUSKRORJLFDO GLIIHUHQFHV © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
Levant’s “telona” that fly as far south as Gebel Rum (1150 1) :LQJ OHQJWK: the total average of males and females
m) only ca 30 km short of the Saudi Arabian boarder at klili 19.08 mm (n=45) is smaller than nominotypical
lat. 29°34.5’ N and sent legs for DNA sequencing and telona (20.87 mm, n=41) by about one mm.
abdomens for genitalia dissections to János Tóth (University Israel, Mt. Hermon, 1700 m. 22.4.1973 Israel, Mt. Hermon, 2000 m. 9.5.1973
of Debrecen, Hungary). DB was not surprised when János Three broods average Average M+F
Male
informed him that indeed telona is different than ornata and M. klili Female 18.24 mm (n=22) 19.08 mm (n=45)
19.87 mm (n=23)
attached Tóth et al., 2014 – Fig 1. Mt Hermon - Central plateaux - Samarian & South Deserts- Average Average M+F
In mid-June 2009 a new complication appeared when DB M. telona Male 20.61 mm (n=32) 1 1
observed the first flying specimen of multi-brodded “telona” Female 21.88 mm (n=9) 20.87 mm (n=41)
but only in the end of May 2018 found its first biotope in Nahal
Zippori lower Galilee and started to breed it, discovering its 2) Significant differences exist in the VXE FRVWDO XVI Israel, Mt. Hillel, 1100 m. 24.4.2002 ©Dubi Benyamini
unique genetic’s-induced risk-spreading strategy of breeding PDUNLQJ between V3 to V4 and proceed to V7. While
in up to three annual broods pending availability of its sole LHP “moon” and “dash” markings are similar for telona & klili 3
– Centaurea iberica “huge” perennial bushes. At this point of with values of 29.2%/29.2% and 4.9%/4.2% respectively.
time two leading Melitaea world-known experts joined forces: There are major differences in the other markings: arc
John Coutsis (Athens, Greece) dissected 20 single & multi “(“ is 2.5% in telona but 8.3 % in klili ; solid triangle “ɽ”
brooded telonas and discovered that the Levant’s “telona” is dominant in telona with 63.4% versus 27.1% in klili
hide additional species* det. provisionally as group species and the arrow “<” with 31.2% in klili does not exsist in
A & group sp. B. In the UK Peter Russell bred some of the telona 0% ! - see table below, where 41 telonas and 48
multi-brooded “telonas” rechecking DB’s results and found klilis adults were photographed for comparison. M.c. clarissa - ab.
the same behaviour. Finally some legs of double brooded Israel, Mt. Hermon, 1700 m. 24.4.2009 0W 'D]GDøL P +DWD\
specimens were sent to Roger Vila’s lab. in Barcelona – his
DNA attached tree (Fig. 2) revealed only minor differences V7 V7 V7
between single and double brooded “telona”s but clearly
approved it to be different than M. ornata. In the following
entries we highlight: 1) Two distinct Melitaea telona group V4 © Dubi Benyamini
species A & B. However, not having the telona holotype (lost V4 V4
V3 2
in MNHN Paris?) for comparison we do not know which one V3 V3
A or B is the correct telona. 2) The multi-brooded “telona” is Turkey, Mt. Amanos, 1483 m. 1.6.2002 Turkey, Mt. Amanos, 1483 m. 1.6.2002
described as Melitaea klili Benyamini, 2021, n. sp. T.L. Nahal Ļ Ļ
Shezor, 206 m, Karmiel. Lower Galilee, Israel. Ļ M. c. clarissa Staudinger, 1901
Fig. 1- Arc Triangle Arrow
"Processus posterior"
of phoebe group-species Forewing arc moon triangle arrow dash n=
extracted from Fig. 5 in 1 1 1 1 8 0 2 3 2
Tóth et al., 2014 M. telona M
3% 34% 57% 0% 6% 100%
0 1 8 0 0 9
M. telona F
0% 10% 90% 0% 0% 100%
1 1 2 2 6 0 2 41
Total
2.5% 29.2% 63.4% 0.0% 4.9% 100%
1 8 7 7 1 2 4
M.. klili M
4.2% 33.4% 29.1% 29.1% 4.2% 100%
3 6 6 8 1 2 4
M. klili F
12.5% 25% 25% 33.3% 4.2% 100%
4 1 4 1 3 1 5 2 48
Total
8.3% 29.2% 27.1% 31.2% 4.2% 100%
Fig. 2 - Clear genetic distance of telona/klili from ornata - symilar to that of Submarginal unf markings between V3 & V4
punica from phoebe - (modified from Roger Vila pers. comm. to DB). of 41 M. telona and 48 M. klili in DB’s butterfly coll. © Dubi Benyamini ©Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
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2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 186 12/30/2021 4:29:00 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 183 12/30/2021 4:28:52 PM