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Hipparchia Fabricius, 1807 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

With 10 species (26 in the genus) it is the largest
representative of the Levant’s Satyrinae (23% of 43
species).
In his famous revision Kudrna (1977) divided Hipparcia
#
to five subgenera all of which have representatives in the
Levant (Sbordoni et al. 2018: 49); Aerial Pursuit
Subgenus Hipparcia Fabricius, 1807: H. syriaca.
Subgenus Parahipparchia Kudrna, 1977: P. pellucida, P.
cypriensis, P. mersina & P. senthes.
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 6 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Magenta
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 6 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Yellow
Subgenus Neohipparchia de Lesse, 1951: N. statilinus &
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 6 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 6 - B | 22-01-02 | 12:34:17 | SR:-- | Cyan
N. fatua.
Subgenus Pseudotergumia Agenjo, 1947: P. pisidice & P. © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
tewfiki.
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Subgenus Euhipparchia Kudrna, 1977: E. parisatis. Fannigg 2 2 2 2 2
&RXUWVKLS VHTXHQFH LQ Hipparchia VSS
Following perching and flight pursuit the couple land and
the ground courtship ritual starts comprising similar steps
that were observed by the author during breeding most of
Levant’s species. The few natural observations support our
belief that what we describe in the lab. is identical to the
natural process (Tinbergen, 1972; Pinzari, 2009). These
“ceremonies” consists of the following steps that could be
repeated several times as a complete or partial cycles:
© Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
1 – After landing at proximity of a few cm. both stay Circling subterranean pupal chambers
motionless for a few minutes.
2 - The male circles the sedentary female, often walking in
small “jumps”, sometimes vibrating its wings and possibly
release pheromones.
3 - The male stands in front of the female head to head,
bowing forwards & kneeling, his forewings “hug” the
female’s closed wings, vibrating his wings to release
pheromones.
In this “massage”:
3.1 – Accepting female holds her antennae within the Antenna orientation Bowing & Kneeling
males wings.
3.2 – Rejecting female holds her antennae out of the males
“hugging” wings. At least on one occasion in H. fatua when
the male retreated the female started circling “happily”
while the male stood motionless “embarrassed”. In other
female’s rejection postures abdomens lowered, wings
were hold wide open, or flapping and not allowing male’s
advance.
4 – At mating attempt; a male approached perpendicular
to the female and turned to be side by side on the same
p
orientation but slightly backwards, then he bent his Copulation attempt
abdomen by 90 degrees sidewise towards the female’s
genitalia.
5 - Clasping (Tinbergen, 1972); the female genitalia is held
by the male claspers, and they turn face away with closed
wings during the copulation. If the male carries the female
in cop. his wings will be external while her wings are in-
between.

Tinbergen (1941, 1972 & Pinzari (2009) defined this
“Ethogram” as: 1 - “Fanning (F)” - male’s pose of wings Clasping Mating
Clasping
vibration & exhibiting its forewings ocelli. 2 – “Circling
(C)”, 3 - “Bowing (B)”, 4 - “Antenna orientation (AO)”, 5 –
“Copulation attempt (CA)” and 6 – “Clasping (CL)”.
Similar stages of Hipprchia’s courtship were observed in
other large Satyrinae e.g. Pseudochazara pelopea. Cameras set-up and filming - Yaron Melech; H. fatua breeding plastic box with subterranean pupal chambers and climbing grasses - Dubi Benyamini.

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2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 86 12/30/2021 4:24:04 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 91 12/30/2021 4:24:26 PM