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Melitaea syriaca Rebel, 1905 Syrian Fritillary
The commonest Melitaea species of the Levant recently
separated from Melitaea trivia by van Oorschot & In Beit Arye, Israel, 1986, larvae of two successive
Coutsis (2014). Flight is weak and close to the ground.
Adults may vary in their appearance, some having less
pronounced wing spotting, resembling M. acentria and
M. didyma; they may be difficult to separate in areas
where the species fly together. Females of first brood
are exceptionally large, but specimens of the second
and third broods are smaller than those of the first,
being closer in size to the larger lycaenids. Males are
territorial and strong hilltoppers. The female carries
the male in cop. On 5 June 2013 between Andirim and Lebanon, Israel and Sinai (Egypt), its southern limit
.DKUDPDQPDUDû &6 7XUNH\ D QHDUO\ GHIROLDWHG WZR
bushes of Verbascum sp. and one leaf with tens of known (van Oorschot & Coutsis, 2014).
yellowish eggs were observed near a big nest of mid-
sized ants – does it mean that syriaca larvae are not
attacked by some ant species? (DB pers. obs.).
%LRORJ\
)OLJKW SHULRG usually early March to mid-November,
from -350 m bsl at Ein Gedi, Dead Sea to 2050+ m
(Mt Hermon) in Israel, but autumn 2017 was long,
rains started very late and on 16 January 2018 Israel
& Gliek (2018) observed a specimen in the Jerusalem
Gazelle Valley Park; March-November, sl to 2000 m in
Hatay (Atahan et al., 2018: 68 & pers. comm. to DB);
March–late October, sl-1500+ m in Lebanon (Larsen,
1974: 126-127); 2119-2400 m in Al-Lazzab reserve
Syrian Anti-Lebanon (Zarikian & Ghrejyan, 2018);
January-October 750-1400+ m in Sinai (Benyamini,
1984); A hilltopping male was collected by DB on top of
Gebel Um-Rig’len near Serabit el khadim temple to the
Goddess Hathor (2800 BC) in W Sinai on 27 January
1979; A single specimen coll. 25 February 1982 (no
additional data) exist in the collection of the Ministry
of Agriculture Cairo (DB pers. obs.); May-August, S Sinai
(Gilbert & Zalat, 2007: 111); throughout the year, 700-
1500+ m Sinai (Larsen, 1990: 58).
/LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine to polyvoltine, depending
on elevation. Females lay eggs in groups of 30-100
under the LHP leaves at the base of the plant close to
the ground, or even under stones near the hostplant.
In desert areas where hostplants are fewer, several
females have been observed group ovipositing in the
same location (Pe’er, 2003). Eggs are 0.7 mm in height,
of a rounded cone shape, smooth and green. L1 is 1.8
mm long, green and hairy, with a black head. The mature
larva measures 25 mm and has a black body with an
orange head, white and orange cones covered with black
hairs. The suspended pupa is 11-15 mm long, light grey
with black, white and orange spots, hatching after 7-11
days. Larvae of the autumn generation overwinter after
the second moulting.
3DUDVLWRLGV Braconidae (Microgastrinae): Apanteles
sp., Cotesia lycophron; Tachinidae (Exoristinae): Erycia
fasciata, Exorista segregata (Eisenstein, 2003: 167).
5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Scrophulariaceae – Verbascum
sinuatum [M], V. sinaiticum, Scrophularia hypericifolia,
S. xanthoglossa, Kickxia aegyptiaca, Linaria tenuis,
212
2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 212
Antirrhinum majus var. [C] (Benyamini & Shahak, 2007).
summer broods were found (and reared) on violet-
flowered Buddleia davidii [C] (DB, breeding notes).
'LVWULEXWLRQ
TL: “Syria (Haifa)” (Haifa, Israel). Distribution ranges
from SE Bulgaria, NE Greece and the E Aegean islands
of Híos, Ikaria, Kos, Lesvos and Samos, Turkey, Syria,
of distribution. Unrecorded from Cyprus. No ssp. are
© Stav Talal
© Dubi Benyamini
© Dubi Benyamini
12/30/2021 4:30:25 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd
Pseudochazara de Lesse, 1951
Pseudochazara anthelea anthelea (Hübner, [1823-1824]
Pseudochazara telephassa (Geyer, [1827])
Pseudochazara pelopea pelopea (Klug, 1832)
Pseudochazara pelopea persica (Christoph, 1877)
Pseudochazara mamurra larseni Koçak, 1978
Pseudochazara mamurra birgit Gross, 1978
Pseudochazara mniszechii mniszechii (Herrich-Schäffer, [1851])
Pseudochazara lidya obscura (Staudinger, 1878)
Satyrus Latreille, 1810
Satyrus favonius favonius Staudinger, [1892]
Satyrus ferula ferula (Fabricius, 1793)
Satyrus makmal Higgins, 1965
Ypthima Hübner, 1818 Subfamily %LEOLGLQDH Boisduval, 1833
Ypthima asterope asterope (Klug, 1832)
Proterebia Roos & Arnscheid, 1980 Tribe %LEOLGLQL Boisduval, 1833
Proterebia phagea (Borkhausen, 1788) Byblia Hübner, [1819]
Byblia anvatara (Boisduval, 1833)
Byblia ilithyia (Drury, [1773])
14
Subfamily +HOLFRQLLQDH Swainson, 1822 Subfamily 1\PSKDOLQDH Rafinesque, 1815
Tribe $UJ\QQLQL Duponchel, [1835] Tribe 1\PSKDOLQL Rafinesque, 1815
Clossiana Reuss, 1920 Vanessa Fabricius, 1807
Vanessa atalanta atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Clossiana euphrosyne (Linnaeus, 1758)
Issoria Hübner, [1819] Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758)
Issoria lathonia lathonia (Linnaeus, 1758) Aglais Dalman, 1816
Brenthis Hübner, [1819] Aglais urticae turcica (Staudinger, 1871)
Brenthis daphne daphne (Bergsträsser, 1780) Nymphalis Kluk, 1780
Argynnis Fabricius, 1807 Nymphalis polychloros polychloros (Linnaeus, 1758)
Argynnis adippe taurica (Staudinger, 1878)
Nymphalis xanthomelas fervescens (Stichel, [1908])
Argynnis niobe gigantea Staudinger, 1871 Polygonia Hübner, [1819]
Argynnis niobe philistra Seitz, [1909] Polygonia c-album c-album (Linnaeus, 1758)
Argynnis pandora pandora ([Schiffermüller], 1775) Polygonia egea egea (Cramer, [1775])
Argynnis paphia delila Röber, 1896 Tribe Junoniini Reuter, 1896
Junonia Hübner, [1819]
Argynnis aglaja ottomana (Röber, 1896)
Junonia hierta crebrene Trimen, 1870
Junonia orithya here Lang, 1884
Junonia orithya madagascariensis Guenée, 1865
Hypolimnas Hübner, [1819]
Hypolimnas misippus misippus (Linnaeus, 1764)
Tribe Melitaeini Newman, 1870
Melitaea Fabricius, 1807
Melitaea cinxia clarissa Staudinger, 1901
Melitaea phoebe phoebe (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Melitaea telona - group A (Fruhstorfer, 1908) ?
Melitaea telona - group B (Fruhstorfer, 1908) ?
Melitaea klili n. sp Benyamini 2021
Melitaea arduinna evanescens Staudinger, 1886
Melitaea arduinna levantina n. ssp. Benyamnini & Russell 2021
Melitaea collina collina Lederer, 1861
Melitaea didyma didyma (Esper, 1778)
Melitaea didyma libanotica Belter, 1934
Melitaea israela n. sp. Benyamini, Tomer & Coutsis 2021
Subfamily /LPHQLWLGLQDH Behr, 1864 Melitaea acentria acentria Lukhtanov, 2017
Tribe /LPHQLWLGLQL Behr, 1864 Melitaea acentria arabica n. ssp.Benyamini, Pittaway & Coutsis 2021
Limenitis Fabricius, 1807 Melitaea syriaca Rebel, 1905
Melitaea deserticola macromaculata Belter, 1934
Limenitis reducta herculeana Stichel [1909] Melitaea deserticola scotti Higgins, 1941
Limenitis reducta schiffermuelleri Higgins, 1933 Melitaea athalia athalia (Rottemburg, 1775)
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