Page 27 - PARPAR-4
P. 27

Libythea celtis (Laicharting, 1782)            Nettle-Tree Butterfly

 Ypthima asterope  1 species in the Levant.   to ‘mud-puddle’ where “freshly emerged adults often congregate in
          A vagrant species and the only representative of the Libytheinae

          distinctive ‘snout’ (formed by long labial palpi), and markedly dentate
 About 130 species, Palaeotropical, Australian
          square-tipped forewing. The species takes nectar, but is also known
 & Palaearctic.
 #  Ypthima Hübner, 1818  found, sparingly, in the region.  L.  celtis is easily recognized by its
          large numbers to drink on damp ground” perhaps leading to dispersal
          away from breeding areas during the summer and “If disturbed larvae
 +RVWSODQWV  Poaceae.
          descend 2-3 m from their hostplant on silken threads” (for defence)
          (Tolman, 1997: 139). In Cyprus, most specimens have been observed
 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 2 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Magenta
 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 2 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Yellow
          in light woodland at 1000 – 1500 m  (John & Makris, 2001), but is
 #21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 2 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Black
 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 2 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Cyan
                                                                                         DGXOW
                                                                                    4
                                                                                    4
                                                                                       5
                                                                                       5
                                                                                          6
          also found at higher elevations. Hilltopping & territorial males were                        HJJ  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10  11  12
                                                                                lar v a
          observed by DB on 11 June 2016 in Mt Ossa (Mt Kissavos) 1450-1600           pupa
          m Thessalia, Greece and on 24 May 2019 on top of a Kalambaka
          - Meteora peak observatory, 500 m Trikala, N Greece. Territorial
 Proterebia  phegea  Roos & Arnscheid, 1980  and photographed on a flat grey rock, in an opening at 1400 m in S
          males may defend their territories for several days (Lafranchis  et
 Proterebia
          al., 2015: 394). The most southerly Levant record was on 24 June
          2014 when a single closed-wings cryptic specimen was observed
          .L]LOGDø·V EODFN SLQH IRUHVW  6 $PDQRV 0W  +DWD\   '% SHUV  REV    ´L.
 Monotype, Palaearctic.
          celtis is known to migrate during July and August to cooler or higher
          elevations, returning to lowlands by September” (Thiele, 2016).
 1 species in the Levant.
 +RVWSODQWV  Poaceae.
          %LRORJ\
          )OLJKW SHULRG  late April to October local and sedentary from 900 to
          1500+ m in the Troodos Mt, Cyprus (John & Makris, 2001; Makris,
          2003: 204, 287); June 400-1600 m in Hatay (Atahan  et al., 2018:
          44; DB pers. obs.); Late March to early August (rarely later) sl–2750
          m (Van) Turkey (Hesselbarth et al., 1995(2): 761).
                                                                                                     © Dubi Benyamini
 Subfamily +HOLFRQLLQDH   Swainson, 1822  /LIH KLVWRU\  univoltine (although with a possible partial second brood
          in August-October). Eggs are laid in spring, near the opening buds
          or on the underside of a leaf. The egg is 0.7 mm in length, off-white
          and ridged longitudinally and transversally changing to light orange
          after two days. L1 is light grey changing after feeding to yellow-
 Clossiana euphrosyne  30 species, Holarctic.   dorsally and on the head capsule” and “very short blackish dorsal   © Leah benyamini  © Adam Warecki
          green and green with a light green head. The mature larva is 30 mm
          long, green with a yellow dorsal median line, “small pale yellow dots
 Clossiana  Reuss, 1920

          body bristles” – similar in appearance to Pieridae larva (Thiele,
          2016). Larval population explosion that defoliated complete tree,
 1 species in the Levant.
          causing high mortality to young larvae by starvation and predation
          by spiders and birds was documented. The pupa is approximately 15
 +RVWSODQWV: Betulaceae, Empetraceae,
          mm in length, usually green, but colour may vary, possibly to enhance
 Ericaceae, Lamiaceae, Polygonaceae, Rosaceae,
          camouflage (Kawahara, 2006). The pupa suspends from a tail pad,
 Ranunculaceae, Salicaceae, Saxifragaceae,
          hidden beneath a hostplant leaf and ecloses after one to three
 Violaceae.
          weeks. Adults hibernate in winter to reappear next spring. (Chinery,
          1989: 76; Lafranchis, 2004; Lafranchis  et al., 2015: 394 & Eddie
          John pers. comm.)
          5HFRUGHG  KRVWSODQWV  Celtidaceae/Cannabaceae:  Celtis australis,   © Eddie John             © Eddie John
          C.  tournefortii (John & Makris, 2001),  C.  caucasica,  C.  glabrata;
 Issoria   Hübner, [1819]
          Ulmaceae: Ulmus minor and U. glabra reluctantly in captivity (Tolman
 Issoria lathonia  8 species, Palaearctic & African.  et al., 2006).

          & Lewington, 1997: 139); Betulaceae: Alnus glutinosa (Toper Kaygin
 (including Kuekenthaliella Reuss, 1921)].

          'LVWULEXWLRQ  TL: Bolzano, S Tirol. Range extends from N Algeria,
 1 species in the Levant.
          NW Tunisia through S Europe and the Mediterranean islands including
          Cyprus, Turkey, southern Russia and Iran to western India. The Nettle-
 +RVWSODQWV  Boraginaceae, Fabaceae,
          tree Butterfly expanded its southern Levant distribution limit to S
 Rosaceae, Violaceae.
          Hatay – as described above and may migrate further south to close-
          by N Syria. Absent from Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan & Sinai. (Earlier
          L. celtis records from China and Japan referred to the ssp. L. c. lepita,
          since elevated to species rank (Kawahara, 2006)).                  © Eddie John              © Eddie John
 22                                                                                                            27

 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd   22  12/30/2021   4:20:38 PM  2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd   27  12/30/2021   4:20:55 PM
   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32