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The Levant is defined as the eastern Mediterranean 1LQH FRXQWULHV UHJLRQV LQ WKH ZLGHU /HYDQW
coastal strip, ca. 200 km wide, from the southern Turkey south of ~parallel (lat.) 37º30'N (S
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slopes of the Taurus Mountains (Turkey) to the Isthmus .DKUDPDQPDUDû LQFOXGLQJ ( 0HUVLQ 6 $GDQD 6
of Suez (the Suez Canal between the Sinai Peninsula Osmaniye, S Gaziantep and the entire Provinces of Kilis
and mainland Egypt). Located in Western Asia, in one of and Hatay, an area of about 30,000 sq. km., harbouring
the oldest regions of mankind, it lies at the crossroads 169 species of butterflies, or nearly 50% of the butterfly
of three continents: Asia, Africa and the Palaearctic IDXQD RI 7XUNH\ %D\WDû DQG RI /HYDQW·V
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 1 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Magenta
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 1 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Yellow
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 1 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 1 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Cyan
(Old World) Region. It is the only existing active land- butterflies.
bridge between the Afrotropical and the Palaearctic Most of Syria (~90%) east to longitude 40ºE near Deir
Regions, where the butterfly fauna is amplified by ez-Zor. In this vast desert area of 185,180 sq. km, 166
migration along the north-south Rift Valley, beginning species of butterfly or 64.6% of the Levant's butterflies
in the valleys and lakes of Mozambique, proceeding may be found.
northwards through Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Lebanon, with an area of 10,400 sq. km and 148 species,
Ethiopia, then continuing along the Red Sea to the includes 57.6% of Levant's butterflies.
Arava, Dead Sea Valley, Jordan Valley and the Syrian- Israel, 22,145 sq. km, 153 species, 59.5%.
Lebanese Beqaa Valley, some 6400 km away. Together Jordan, 89,342 sq. km, 93 species, 36.2%.
with Cyprus, we include in this series of books nine The Sinai Peninsula, 60,000 sq. km, 48 species
countries/regions in the wider Levant. (Benyamini, 1984), 18.7%.
Egypt south to parallel 21º40'N at its border with Sudan,
941,450 sq. km, 63 species, 24.5%. The addition of
Table 2 below, shows the number of species for every nine new species represents an increase of 17% to the
family. Lycaenidae, with 87 species, is the largest Egyptian fauna (Gilbert & Zalat, 2007; Benyamini &
family with 33.9% of the Levant's butterflies, then the Müller, 2020).
Nymphalidae (including Satyrinae) with 80 species NW Saudi Arabia, Coastal Hejaz north of Yanbu (parallel
(31.1%), the Pieridae 44 (17.1%) and the Hesperiidae 24°N), ca. 7000 sq. km, 59 species, 22.9% of the Levant's
36 (14%). The Papilionidae is the smallest family with butterflies, but adding about 78.8% more butterflies
10 species, or just 3.9% of the Levant's butterflies. to NW Hejaz (33 species in Larsen, 1984; updating
These numbers may change significantly if climate Benyamini & Müller, 2020 by adding nine species that fly
change continues, bringing with it tropical storms from in Eilat, S Israel [a few km only from N Hejaz border] or in
the south. The Levant, especially its southern areas, nearby areas).
is located in an active ecotone where the gradients of Cyprus, 9251 sq. km, 54 species, 21% of the Levant's
change in butterfly diversity and richness are very high. butterflies.
Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Hesperiidae Libytheinae Danainae Charaxinae Satyrinae Heliconiinae Limenitidinae Biblidinae Nymphalinae
Country Totals Country Totals
Cyprus 3 10 20 17 4 54 Cyprus 1 2 1 12 2 1 3 22
Egypt & Sinai 2 20 13 27 12 74 Egypt & Sinai 1 1 3 2 6 13
Israel & Mt Hermon 9 27 43 51 24 153 Israel & Mt Hermon 1 1 18 3 1 20 43
Jordan 5 21 25 26 16 93 Jordan 1 1 10 1 12 25
Lebanon 8 24 42 52 22 148 Lebanon 1 1 18 3 1 17 41
NW Saudi Arabia (Hejaz) 2 19 14 19 5 59 NW Saudi Arabia (Hejaz) 1 1 3 2 7 14
Syria 9 34 48 51 24 166 Syria 1 1 1 22 4 1 19 48
© Samir Hamza 7DEOH &RPSRVLWLRQ RI EXWWHUÁ\ VSHFLHV LQ FRXQWULHV RI WKH /HYDQW DQG Totals Table 3: No of Species of Nymphalidae’ subs-familes in countries of the wider Levant. 80
9 24 61 53 24 169
Turkey (areas as above)
Turkey (areas as above)
34
1
1
15
1
8
61
Totals
10 44 80 87 36 257
8
2
1
21
2
1
42
2
the wider regions discussed in Vols. I – IV ; The Nymphalidae
6 family is highlighted. 11
2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 6 12/30/2021 4:20:10 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 11 12/30/2021 4:20:12 PM
