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Melitaea athalia Rottemburg, 1775 Heath Fritillary

A rare butterfly in the Levant, highly sedentary fritillary
showing much regional variation. Of the several Melitaea
spp. having similar wing morphology to M. athalia, this is the
only species found in the Levant, where it flies along forest
#
margins, openings and damp habitats. Males are attracted
to animal droppings and patrol low over the ground in
search of a mate. Both sexes tend to be gregarious (Eeles,
2019: 284).
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 14 - A | 22-01-02 | 10:39:04 | SR:-- | Magenta
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 14 - A | 22-01-02 | 10:39:04 | SR:-- | Yellow
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 14 - A | 22-01-02 | 10:39:04 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 14 - A | 22-01-02 | 10:39:04 | SR:-- | Cyan
DGXOW DGXOW
6
7
HJJ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 %LRORJ\ HJJ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
lar v a lar v a
pupa pupa
© Dubi Benyamini
© Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini )OLJKW SHULRG June to July, at 1200-1800 m along the
Amanos Mt in Hatay (Atahan et al., 2018: 70). DB observed
4 a single specimen flying in an open forest in C Amanos,
© Dubi Benyamini 'D]GDøL P RQ -XQH
/LIH KLVWRU\ HOVHZKHUH univoltine, perhaps in a partial
summer second brood or prolonged emergence [Tolman
& Lewington, (1997: 175); Higgins & Riley, (1970: 120 as
Mellicta athalia)]. Females mate once only, shortly after
emergence. Eggs are cream-coloured, of a rounded cone
shape with numerous vertical keels and laid on the underside
of a leaf on (or near) the hostplant, in large batches of up
to ca. 150 eggs. L1 are ochreous-white with a black heads
and emerge en masse after 10-20 days. After eating the
eggshell, larvae live gregariously beneath a silken web,
feeding initially on the leaf cuticle before forming smaller Greece, Mt. Kivasos, Hatay, C Amanus Mt.
© Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini ‹ 2ÀU 7RPHU groups on nearby hostplants. In late summer, the immature 1450-1600 m 11.6.2016
L3 larvae form a hibernaculum within a curled dead leaf,
3 3 4 secured by silk. After overwintering, feeding resumes in
spring, with much time spent basking in sunshine. The © Dubi Benyamini
Jordan, Dana Reserve 18 June 1999, L5 on Anarrhinum foskahlii © Dubi Benyamini margins, attached by the cremaster to a pad of silk, usually
mature larva is largely black, covered with tiny white spots
© Dubi Benyamini
and conical orange spines with black setae. The pendulous
pupa is white with black spots and bands with yellow
on the lower leaves and stems of the LHP or within leaf
litter, hatching after 2-3 weeks (Tolman & Lewington, 1997:
174-176; Warecki, 2010: 116; Thomas & Lewington, 2014:
230-234; Lafranchis et al., 2015: 476-477).
&RQVHUYDWLRQ rated LC (Least Concern) in the Turkish
& Mediterranean red lists of butterflies (Keraçetin &
Welch, 2011 and Numa et al. 2016 respectively), rare in
Hatay (Atahan et al., 2016: 70), but is “categorised as EN
(Endangered) in the UK” where its existence was supported © Adam Warecki © Adam Warecki © Adam Warecki
also by reintroduction (Eeles, 2019: 283 & Fox et al., 2011).
© Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini ‹ 2ÀU 7RPHU ‹ 2ÀU 7RPHU
5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV in Europe & Hatay: Scrophulariaceae
– Linaria vulgaris, Melampyrum pratense, M. sylvaticum, © Adam Warecki © Dubi Benyamini
Veronica chamaedrys, V. montana, V. officinalis;
Plantaginaceae – Digitalis purpurea, D. ferruginea, D.
lutea, Plantago lanceolata, P. alpina; Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
– Teucrium scorodonia.

'LVWULEXWLRQ

TL: Paris. A widespread species, common throughout much
of its range across most of Europe, Russia, temperate Asia
and Japan, reaching its southern distributional limit in the
Levant only in Hatay, Turkey, where the nominotypical ssp.
‹ 2ÀU 7RPHU © Jason Wides is rare (Atahan et al., 2018: 70). © Ali Atahan © Adam Warecki

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2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 216 12/30/2021 4:30:40 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 217 12/30/2021 4:30:44 PM