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Melitaea syriaca Rebel, 1905 Syrian Fritillary 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 14 - A | 22-01-02 | 12:34:18 | SR:-- | Cyan #21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 2

The commonest Melitaea species of the Levant recently Antirrhinum majus var. [C] (Benyamini & Shahak, 2007).
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. summer broods were found (and reared) on violet-
Adults may vary in their appearance, some having less flowered Buddleia davidii [C] (DB, breeding notes). Pseudochazara de Lesse, 1951
pronounced wing spotting, resembling M. acentria and Pseudochazara anthelea anthelea (Hübner, [1823-1824]
Pseudochazara telephassa (Geyer, [1827])
M. didyma; they may be difficult to separate in areas Pseudochazara pelopea pelopea (Klug, 1832)
where the species fly together. Females of first brood 'LVWULEXWLRQ Pseudochazara pelopea persica (Christoph, 1877)
are exceptionally large, but specimens of the second Pseudochazara mamurra larseni Koçak, 1978
Pseudochazara mamurra birgit Gross, 1978
and third broods are smaller than those of the first, TL: “Syria (Haifa)” (Haifa, Israel). Distribution ranges Pseudochazara mniszechii mniszechii (Herrich-Schäffer, [1851])
being closer in size to the larger lycaenids. Males are from SE Bulgaria, NE Greece and the E Aegean islands Pseudochazara lidya obscura (Staudinger, 1878)
territorial and strong hilltoppers. The female carries of Híos, Ikaria, Kos, Lesvos and Samos, Turkey, Syria, Satyrus Latreille, 1810
Satyrus favonius favonius Staudinger, [1892]
the male in cop. On 5 June 2013 between Andirim and Lebanon, Israel and Sinai (Egypt), its southern limit Satyrus ferula ferula (Fabricius, 1793)
.DKUDPDQPDUDû &6 7XUNH\ D QHDUO\ GHIROLDWHG WZR of distribution. Unrecorded from Cyprus. No ssp. are Satyrus makmal Higgins, 1965
bushes of Verbascum sp. and one leaf with tens of known (van Oorschot & Coutsis, 2014). Ypthima Hübner, 1818 Subfamily %LEOLGLQDH Boisduval, 1833
Ypthima asterope asterope (Klug, 1832)
yellowish eggs were observed near a big nest of mid- Proterebia Roos & Arnscheid, 1980 Tribe %LEOLGLQL Boisduval, 1833
sized ants – does it mean that syriaca larvae are not Proterebia phagea (Borkhausen, 1788) Byblia Hübner, [1819]
attacked by some ant species? (DB pers. obs.). Byblia anvatara (Boisduval, 1833)
Byblia ilithyia (Drury, [1773])
%LRORJ\ 14

)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); Subfamily +HOLFRQLLQDH Swainson, 1822 Subfamily 1\PSKDOLQDH Rafinesque, 1815
January-October 750-1400+ m in Sinai (Benyamini,
1984); A hilltopping male was collected by DB on top of Tribe $UJ\QQLQL Duponchel, [1835] Tribe 1\PSKDOLQL Rafinesque, 1815
Gebel Um-Rig’len near Serabit el khadim temple to the Clossiana Reuss, 1920 Vanessa Fabricius, 1807
Vanessa atalanta atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Clossiana euphrosyne (Linnaeus, 1758)
Goddess Hathor (2800 BC) in W Sinai on 27 January Issoria Hübner, [1819] Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758)
1979; A single specimen coll. 25 February 1982 (no Issoria lathonia lathonia (Linnaeus, 1758) Aglais Dalman, 1816
additional data) exist in the collection of the Ministry Brenthis Hübner, [1819] Aglais urticae turcica (Staudinger, 1871)
of Agriculture Cairo (DB pers. obs.); May-August, S Sinai Brenthis daphne daphne (Bergsträsser, 1780) Nymphalis Kluk, 1780
(Gilbert & Zalat, 2007: 111); throughout the year, 700- Argynnis Fabricius, 1807 Nymphalis polychloros polychloros (Linnaeus, 1758)
Nymphalis xanthomelas fervescens (Stichel, [1908])
Argynnis adippe taurica (Staudinger, 1878)
1500+ m Sinai (Larsen, 1990: 58). Argynnis niobe gigantea Staudinger, 1871 Polygonia Hübner, [1819]
© Stav Talal
Argynnis niobe philistra Seitz, [1909] Polygonia c-album c-album (Linnaeus, 1758)
/LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine to polyvoltine, depending Argynnis pandora pandora ([Schiffermüller], 1775) Polygonia egea egea (Cramer, [1775])
on elevation. Females lay eggs in groups of 30-100 Argynnis paphia delila Röber, 1896 Tribe Junoniini Reuter, 1896
Argynnis aglaja ottomana (Röber, 1896)
Junonia Hübner, [1819]
under the LHP leaves at the base of the plant close to Junonia hierta crebrene Trimen, 1870
the ground, or even under stones near the hostplant. Junonia orithya here Lang, 1884
In desert areas where hostplants are fewer, several Junonia orithya madagascariensis Guenée, 1865
females have been observed group ovipositing in the Hypolimnas Hübner, [1819]
Hypolimnas misippus misippus (Linnaeus, 1764)
same location (Pe’er, 2003). Eggs are 0.7 mm in height, Tribe Melitaeini Newman, 1870
of a rounded cone shape, smooth and green. L1 is 1.8 Melitaea Fabricius, 1807
mm long, green and hairy, with a black head. The mature Melitaea cinxia clarissa Staudinger, 1901
larva measures 25 mm and has a black body with an Melitaea phoebe phoebe (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
orange head, white and orange cones covered with black Melitaea telona - group A (Fruhstorfer, 1908) ?
Melitaea telona - group B (Fruhstorfer, 1908) ?
hairs. The suspended pupa is 11-15 mm long, light grey Melitaea klili n. sp Benyamini 2021
with black, white and orange spots, hatching after 7-11 Melitaea arduinna evanescens Staudinger, 1886
days. Larvae of the autumn generation overwinter after © Dubi Benyamini Melitaea arduinna levantina n. ssp. Benyamnini & Russell 2021
the second moulting. Melitaea collina collina Lederer, 1861
Melitaea didyma didyma (Esper, 1778)
Melitaea didyma libanotica Belter, 1934
3DUDVLWRLGV Braconidae (Microgastrinae): Apanteles Melitaea israela n. sp. Benyamini, Tomer & Coutsis 2021
sp., Cotesia lycophron; Tachinidae (Exoristinae): Erycia Subfamily /LPHQLWLGLQDH Behr, 1864 Melitaea acentria acentria Lukhtanov, 2017

fasciata, Exorista segregata (Eisenstein, 2003: 167). Tribe /LPHQLWLGLQL Behr, 1864 Melitaea acentria arabica n. ssp.Benyamini, Pittaway & Coutsis 2021
5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Scrophulariaceae – Verbascum Limenitis Fabricius, 1807 Melitaea syriaca Rebel, 1905
Melitaea deserticola macromaculata Belter, 1934
sinuatum [M], V. sinaiticum, Scrophularia hypericifolia, Limenitis reducta herculeana Stichel [1909] Melitaea deserticola scotti Higgins, 1941
S. xanthoglossa, Kickxia aegyptiaca, Linaria tenuis, Limenitis reducta schiffermuelleri Higgins, 1933 Melitaea athalia athalia (Rottemburg, 1775)
© Dubi Benyamini

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2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 212 12/30/2021 4:30:25 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 221 12/30/2021 4:30:47 PM