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Melitaea deserticola Oberthür, 1909                Desert Fritillary  edges, water puddles, carrion and excreta.  error.

           0OOHULDQ  PLPLFU\  where both model and mimic are   VO  sea level.
            inedible, distasteful or harmful.
 A species of deserts and semi-desert Irano-Turanian   resume eating in mid-February 2001. The mature larva   PXW²FRP   refers  to  lycaenid/ant  association,  VS   species (singular).
                                                             VSS   species (plural).
 areas that migrates into the Mediterranean areas.   is 25 mm long black, the spines, prolegs and head are   specifically where an association is intermediate in   631,  Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.
 Flight is distinct and higher than other congeners.   orange with black hairs, resembling larva of  Melitaea   ecological outcome, i.e. in terms of being mutualistic   V V   sensu stricto (in the strict sense).
 Usually a local species that patrols tracks, hillsides and   telona. Pupates on the hostplant. The pupa is 13.5 mm
 #          or ‘commensalic’ (neutral), or is insufficiently well   VVS   subspecies (singular).
 wadis (ravining) in the vicinity of its hostplants. Males   long pale bluish-grey and spotted with black and a little   known (after Fiedler, 2006).   VVSS   subspecies (plural).
 hilltop awaiting females. M. deserticola northern world   yellow, hatches after 9-11 days (DB breeding notes).   0<$  million years ago.  VXEI   subfamily(ies)
 distribution limit (as ssp. macromaculata) in N Levant’s   P\UPHFRSKLORXV  having a positive, close association   6:  south-west.
 Lebanese and Anti-Lebanese Mt ranges is reflected in   Rated as VU (Vulnerable in Sinai, assessed as B2) by   with ants.  V\PSDWU\  ULF   the presence of two or more (usually
 adult’s wing size; in C Levant the average forewing costal   Gilbert & Zalat (2007: 109).  P\UPHFR[HQHV  lycaenid larvae that lack a DNO have   overlapping) populations in the same area.
 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 14 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Magenta
 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 14 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Yellow
 #21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 14 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Black
 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 14 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Cyan
 length in Israel (21.65 mm) and Jordan  (20.92 mm)  been termed myrmecoxenous.  V\Q   synonym.
 reduce to 18.9 mm in Mt Hermon and 18.08 mm in the   5HFRUGHG  KRVWSODQWV  Scrophulariaceae -  Anarrhinum   P\UPHFR[HQRXV  see above.  V\QDQWKURSLF  benefitting from association with human
 Sinai uplands where they are lighter (illustr. 1). Ssp scotti   forskahlii * [S] – illustr. 3,  A. orientalis,  A.  pubescens   habitats.
 that flies in western Saudi Arabia is also small at 18.1   [S],  Kickxia aegyptiaca [M] – illustr. 4,  Linaria and
 mm. In all its populations, specimens of the first brood   Antirrhinum spp.; Plantaginaceae:  Plantago spp. ?   N  north.  tKDQDWRVLV  feigning death.
 are larger than those of later broods. The average wing   *; Resedaceae:  Randonia africana (Tarrier, 2001, in   Q   new  WKHUPRUHJXODWLRQ   a process by which optimal body
 length of the females is larger than the males by 2.62   Morocco).   1DKDO 1DNKDO  wadi or river, in Hebrew.   temperature is regulated, e.g. orientation to the sun
 mm in Sinai and 2.05 mm in C Levant (Israel + Jordan)   *- A. forskahlii and/or Plantago lanceolata are possibly   1(  north-east.  and appression of wings to warm substrates.
 – see Table 1.   the LHP of Mt Hermon’s population.
           1+08.  Natural History Museum, UK (London).       7/  Type Locality.
           11(  north-north-east.                            72 V   ‘a pair of epidermal tubes located on the dorsum
 %LRORJ\  'LVWULEXWLRQ  QRPLQRW\SLFDO QRPLQDWH  when a species is split   of the eighth abdominal segment of many lycaenid
            into subspecies, the originally described population   caterpillars. The TOs are everted when the larvae
 )OLJKW SHULRG  mid-February to November from – 250 m   TL: Biskra, Algeria. Distributed is south Mediterranean,   is retained as the ‘nominotypical (or ‘nominate’)   are stimulated by ants or, in some species, when the
            subspecies’ and the species’ name is repeated, e.g.
                                                               caterpillars crawl about or are disturbed’ (Fiedler,
 (or lower) in lower Jordan Valley and wadis descending   ranging from Morocco and the mountains of the Sahara   Papilio demodocus demodocus. A subspecies cannot   1991).
 to the Dead Sea to the Anti-Lebanon (Mt Hermon) at   to Egypt, Sinai, NW/SW & S Arabia, Jordan, Israel,   be recognized in isolation: a species  will either be   WURSKDOOD[LV  the mutual or unilateral transfer of food or
 1700+ m in Israel; late March to mid-July+, sl-1800+   Lebanon and Syria, scarce in Mt Hermon. Its northern   recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or   other fluids mouth-to-mouth (stomodeal) or anus-to-
 m in Lebanon (Larsen, 1974: 127; Merit, X. & V., 2004   distributional limit is in the TL of M. d. macromaculata   more (including any that are extinct), never just one.  mouth (proctodeal), among colony members of social
 & 2008); April & August, 800-1500 m in Anti-Lebanon,   in Bscherré, N Lebanon latitude 34°15’ N. Unrecorded   13$  Israel Nature and Parks Authority.  insects or ‘guests’.
 Syria (ten-Hagen, 1995/1996/1998 and pers. comm.   from Turkey and Cyprus. An isolated population   1:  north-west.  WXUJRU  in this context, the distension of plant tissue, due
 to DB); 1545-1678 m in Al-Lazzab reserve Syrian Anti-  exists in Ethiopia. One subspecies flies in the Levant:   to internal pressures.
 Lebanon (Zarikian & Ghrejyan, 2018); March-June, sl-  Melitaea deserticola macromaculata Belter, 1934; TL:   O801+  Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
 1200 m in Jordan (Benyamini, 2002a; Fabiano, 1998:   Near Bscherré, N Lebanon.  M.  d.  scotti  Higgins 1941   uQI  forewing underside(s).
 Larsen & Nakamura, 1983; Katbeh-Bader et al. 2003;   TL: Yemen, flies in W & S Arabia ~1000 km S of ssp.   pDUDSK\OHWLF  a group of species that includes the most   XQK  hindwing underside(s).
 ten-Hagen, 1995 & 1998); mid-February at least until   macromaculata (Larsen, 1983; Pittaway, 1985) – illustr.   recent common ancestors but does not include all of   XQLYROWLQH  having one brood per year.
 August sl to 2000 m in Sinai (Benyamini, 1984); May-  2. Hemming (1932) identified a female taken on 30   its descendants.  XQV  undersides.
 September in N Egypt & Sinai (“only recorded in Sinai   March 1927 in Ain Musa, Jordan by Lockhart as  M.   3&2V  pore cupola organs (small glandular structures   XSI  forewing upperside(s).
 since 1970”) (Gilbert & Zalat, 2007: 109). In Arabia   didyma  casta Kollar, but Higgins (1941) and Larsen &   derived from setae).  XSK  hindwing upperside(s).
 reported in March from “The first range of highlands   Nakamura, 1983 corrected it to  Melitaea deserticola   SHUV  FRPP   personal communication.  XSV  uppersides.
 inland (east) from Haql” (800 m, NW Hejaz, Saudi-  macromaculata – illustr. 5.   SHUV  REV   personal observation.
 Arabia, Pittaway, 1985 and pers. comm.) but it should   SKDUDWH  a stage of metamorphosis not usually   V   9  HWF    wing vein 1 etc.
 be found also in the Gebel el-Lawz – G. Dafdaf Mt range   representing a finite morphological stage, e.g. a   YLFDULDQFH   YLFDULDQW   where a geographic barrier
 of NW Hejaz. Further northwards it was found in Aqaba   developed larva overwintering within the egg.  separates a group of organisms. Closely related taxa in
 (Graves, 1925a – no date); Ssp.  scotti (Higgins 1941)   SRO\SKDJRXV  accepting a range of LHPs belonging to   corresponding but separate environments.
 was collected by Pittaway “from November to June in   more than one plant genus.
 both Juniperus and Olea zones of the Asir mountains   SRO\YROWLQH  having two or more (perhaps unknown or   W  west.
 (1500-2500 m)” and in Taif, N Asir, E Mecca, CW Arabia   unspecified) broods per year.  ZDGL V   dry riverbed(s).
 in November and January – illustr. 2 (Pittaway, 1985 &   SURWDQGU\  the tendency for males to emerge before
 pers comm. to DB).
            females.                                         xHULF HQYLURQPHQW  a dry environment containing little
                                                               water.
 /LIH  KLVWRU\  polyvoltine, up to three annual broods   ‘rDYLQLQJ·   UDYLQH  SDWUROOLQJ   flying at the base of
 pending LHP availability, rarely a 4th brood in autumn   © Jason Wides  ‹ 2ÀU 7RPHU  depressions (valley floors), or along hedges or forest   Z60  Zoologische Staatssammlung München.
 – e.g. a single specimen observation in 21 December   margins  – a mate location strategy employed by males
 2020 at Kfira reserve, near Nataf, Israel (Benyamini &   of some species (Tennent, 1995).
 Tomer, 2021a). Adults of later broods are much smaller.    5 +   relative humidity.
 Eggs are light green glossy, 0.9 mm ogive-shaped with       [?]  possible hostplant or insufficient data.
 vertical ribs, laid in small batches on the leaves and   [S]  preferred hostplant in arid areas (S Israel, S Jordan
 stems of LHP. 1.75 mm long L1 hatches after 5-7 days,   and Sinai).  ~  about.
 is light green, semi-transparent, glossy, black hairs,   6  south.
 black glossy head, consuming the eggshell for its first   6(  south-east.                   male(s).


 meal. Larvae are gregarious feeding on both sides of   6(0  scanning electron microscope.                   female(s).


 the leaves opening “windows” in the epidermis. L1 that   VH[XDO  GLPRUSKLVP  difference in appearance (e.g.
 hatched on 17.4.2000 in Shomria N Negev started 12   shape, markings, colour) between male and female
 days later, as 10 mm long L3 a 10 months diapause   © Dubi Benyamini
            members of the same species.
           VLF  indicates the accurate transcription of an original
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 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd   214  12/30/2021   4:30:31 PM  2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd   219  12/30/2021   4:30:45 PM
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