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 Chazara briseis Linnaeus, 1764                      The Hermit  round dish around it and 18-21 vertical ribs. L1 usually      21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 5 - A | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Cyan
          eats the eggshell is 1.5-1.6 mm long greyish-white with
          6 longitudinal lines of long white hairs coming out of
 Among the largest of the Levant satyrines, the female has a   emerge; most of the eggshell is eaten. L1 is hairless, tapers   dark protrusions, head light brown with orange tint and
 larger wingspan than the male, which is reported as hilltopper.   backwards, and is light brown with longitudinal lighter lines.   black hairs. They descend to the lower parts of the wood
 Preferred biotopes are dry, open or scrubby areas, tracks or   Depending on location, some enter diapause; others, with   and dry grasses waiting in diapause to feed on growing
 steep-sided banks. During the long Mediterranean summer,   hostplants available, feed during the day. Larvae drop from   5  grasses to get whole green colour. From L2 and on, feed   © Dubi Benyamini  © Dubi Benyamini
 C. briseis aestivates and congregates in shady cooler areas   the leaf if disturbed. Overwinters as L1 to L3, depending on   at night, has darker mid dorsal dark-green line and white
 from which they are easily disturbed. Long, motionless   location and circumstances, with feeding likely on warmer   side lines that proceed to the forked short tail. Body is
 periods are spent with wings closed, well camouflaged in   days. At the approach of spring, feeding resumes at night,   covered with short hairs. 25-30 mm long mature larva
 the shade of dry overgrown watercourses, or other shady   the larvae hiding at the base of the hostplant during the   feeds sometimes at day. On alert they raise their front
 refuges. In captivity, water (or nectar) is accepted only once   day. The mature L5 is 35 mm long, with a mid-dorsal dark-  body with head bent downwards. Pre-pupa is 17 mm long
 every couple of weeks. Occasionally when disturbed, adults   brown, segmented line, subdorsal and lateral longitudinal   hangs straight down, 3.5–8 cm over the soil (measured
 drop into vegetation and remain motionless (thanatosis).   lines of white and various shades of brown; the head and   in ten pupae). The suspended 15 X 5 mm pupa is green,
 In Cyprus,  Ptilostemon chamaepeuce  and  Onopordum   legs are ochre and four, dark brown vertical lines extend   with two rows of brown points on the abdomen, dark
 cyprium (Asteraceae) are preferred nectar sources (Makris,   across the head capsule. L5 uses its mandibles (0.5 x 0.2   brown line with white margin at wing’s case inner margin
 2003: 246). The female may be dimorphic with the cream-  mm in size) to dig its way into soft soil where it prepares a   and a brown spot at the body centre. Wings turn brown
 coloured markings replaced by orange-brown (f.  pirata,   shallow underground pupation chamber reinforced with silk   one day before eclosion after 9-11 days. Female carries
 Esper). Hesselbarth  et al. (1995(2): 923) reported male   (Hesselbarth  et al., 1995(2): 922-924). The dark-orange   the male  in cop. (DB breeding notes and Benyamini,   © Dubi Benyamini  © Dubi Benyamini
 puddling at pool margins, and in Cyprus, post-aestivation   pupa is 17 mm long, formed ventral side up. Adults hatch   2001b - illustr. below)
 females have been observed puddling at mud (John &   after 3-5 weeks. (González Granados et al., 2009: 476-477;
 Dennis, 2019).   Lafranchis  et al., 2015: 700-703; Lafranchis, 2019; SBN   &RPPHQVDOLVP  ZLWK  PLWHV  Only once a phoretic mite
 1987: 249-250; DB, breeding notes.)
 %LRORJ\  was photographed on M. telmessia in Israel, this single
          mite was lodging on the thorax at the base of the hw
 5HFRUGHG   KRVWSODQWV   Poaceae  (Gramineae)  –  (Feingold 2006c & pers. comm. to DB – illustr.) – see
 )OLJKW SHULRG  late April to early November, sl to 1950 m in   Brachypodium, Festuca, Lolium, Poa & Stipa spp.  Commensalism parag. in Vol I.
 Cyprus (John & Skule, 2016: 318). Single record at 100 m
 in Hatay (Atahan et al., 2018: 82).   6\VWHPDWLFV  DNA analysis has revealed that the Cyprus   5HFRUGHG  KRVWSODQWV   Poaceae (Gramineae) -  Avena
 and S European race across to Spain is separated from N   sterilis, Cynodon dactylon, Brachypodium, Bromus & Poa   © Dubi Benyamini  © Dubi Benyamini
 /LIH  KLVWRU\  univoltine, males appearing before the   African briseis by about 1-2 MY. However, within Cyprus two   spp.
 females. Courting of  briseis from Cyprus was observed   lineages colonized the island in different periods. One is
 in captivity on 10.9.2016, when a male was seen to flit   identical to the Balkan race in Romania, North Macedonia,
 around a motionless female, the male vibrating its wings,   Bulgaria and Greece, the other, older, lineage arrived from   'LVWULEXWLRQ
 approaching close from the side and rear before positioning   Europe. The exact source and colonizing period needs
 head to head a few mm apart. The male then bowed forward   additional research (Vila & Benyamini, 2022, in prep.).   TL: Marmaris, Turkey. The species’ distribution ranges
 and folded its forewings over the female’s antennae and   &RQVHUYDWLRQ   Considered to be in permanent decline in   from east Aegean islands throughout S Turkey, most of   Ļ
 wings, releasing pheromones. Such behaviour was repeated   most of Europe, i.e. Critically Endangered (CR) in the Czech   Syria, Lebanon and the Middle East. In the Levant, the
 continuously nine times, but when mating was attempted,   Republic (Kadlec et al., 2009a), Near Threatened (NT) in the   nominotypical ssp. is found in southern Turkey, Syria,   Ļ
 the female flipped her wings to deter the male, before   European Red List (van Swaay et al., 2010: 34), contracted   Lebanon, Israel, NW Jordan, N Iraq and W Iran. Its   © Evyatar Feingold
 raising and concealing her abdomen within her closed   range in France, extinct in parts of Germany, sporadic in   southern limit is N Beit Guvrin, Israel, near Tel Goded
 wings. Unreceptive females may fly tens of metres up with   Switzerland and N Italy (Tolman & Lewington 1997: 199),   31º38’ N, 384 m (Benyamini, 2003c). At N Samarian   © Dubi Benyamini
 the male in pursuit, ultimately evading attention by dropping   regression of habitat in C & N France (Lafranchis et al.,   Desert close to the Jordan Valley a male was recorded
 down to surface and escape flying low and fast. The female   2015: 700) and locally extinct in Spain (González Granados   N Gitit 100 m in mid-April 1983 (DB, pers. obs.). It is
 carries the male in cop. (Lafranchis, 2001). Throughout its   et al., 2009: 477). In Czechoslovakia, reduced grazing,   not recorded from Sinai. In Cyprus it is replaced by the
 range, C. briseis undergoes delayed egg maturation, even   successional overgrowth and afforestation has caused   endemic Maniola cypricola.
 though in some populations, e.g. in Czechoslovakia, there   serious decline (Kadlec et al., 2009a). C. briseis remains
 is no period of aestivation. There, Kadlec  et al. (2009a,   very common in Cyprus (Sparrow & John, 2016: 318) and
 2009b) reported mortality of 25-55% during the period of   of Least Concern (LC) in the Red Lists of Mediterranean
 ca. three weeks required for egg maturation post mating.   butterflies (Numa et al., 2016: 27) and Turkey (Karaçetin &
 In Cyprus populations, months of aestivation then follow   Welch, 2011:115).
 prior to oviposition. A caged female, taken at Stavrovouni
 (Cyprus) for rearing at Beit Arye (Israel), was observed   'LVWULEXWLRQ   TL: Germany. From NW Africa, Spain,
                                                                                                     © Stav Talal
 between 16.00-19.00 on 20.7.2014, in full sun, behaving   France, C Italy, C Europe to 50ºN, Greece, Turkey, NE Iraq, to   © Dubi Benyamini
 skittishly, occasionally turning full circle and curving   W & N Iran, Afghanistan, NW China, Tuva Republic S Russia
 its abdomen 180º. Twelve eggs were eventually laid,   & S Siberia (absent from Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan
 prematurely, on the cage wall (DB, breeding notes). Three   and Sinai) (Hesselbarth  et al., 1995(3): 787); Tolman &
 months after being caged outdoors at Alethriko (Cyprus), a   Lewington, 1997: 199; Tuzov, 1997(1): 258: Zarikian, 2016).
 female from the same area laid five eggs at the appropriate   Two subspecies are found in the Levant: C. b. meridionalis
 time of year, in early October. Ovipositing in the wild has   Staudinger, 1886; TL: Amasya – S Turkey, is very rare in S
 been recorded in autumn, eggs often being deposited low   Hatay, its southern limit in the Levant (Atahan et al., 2018:
 (ca. 2 cm above ground) on dry grass prior to the arrival of   82). C. b. larnacana Oberthür, 1909; TL: Cyprus, Larnaca,
 seasonal rain (Makris, 2003: 246; Lafranchis, 2001). The   is a common endemic ssp. to Cyprus, where the orange-
 white, barrel-shaped egg is 1.0 mm in diameter, 1.2-1.5   brown f.  pirata females are frequently observed. Olivier
 mm high and with 12-14 longitudinal ribs. Before eclosion   (1993: 221) concurred with Oberthür’s designation of  C.
 2-3 weeks later, the L1 nibbles a series of peripheral   b.  larnacana as a valid ssp. and confirmed this to differ
 holes beneath the top of the egg and pushes upwards to   slightly, but consistently, from Greek and Turkish material.  © Ofir Tomer  © Stav Talal


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 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd   80  12/30/2021   4:23:43 PM  2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd   65  12/30/2021   4:23:05 PM
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