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Kirinia roxelana (Cramer, 1777) Lattice Brown

A local species of the Levant’s Mediterranean regions,
principally inhabiting woodland areas, but in Cyprus
has also adapted to diverse habitats including (possibly
extensively managed) orchards and olive groves. The
#
skipping flight is typically satyrid, but most characteristic
of the species is its habit of weaving between branches
of bushes or small trees, before alighting on trunks and
branches, or on rocks, soil and leaf litter, and immediately
closing wings. Adults rarely feed on flowers, but in Cyprus DGXOW
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21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 3 - A | 22-01-02 | 10:39:02 | SR:-- | Magenta
HJJ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 3 - A | 22-01-02 | 10:39:02 | SR:-- | Yellow
roxelana has been seen group nectaring on Echinops sp. lar v a © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 3 - A | 22-01-02 | 10:39:02 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 3 - A | 22-01-02 | 10:39:02 | SR:-- | Cyan
pupa
(Haines & Haines, 2010: 24), while in Upper Galilee, a
preference is shown for Cistus creticus. In Cyprus, feeding
on aphid secretions (Makris 2003: 264), tree sap in the DGXOW 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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HJJ
Galilee (Shalev Weisman, pers. comm. - illustr. 1) and at lar v a
pupa
fermenting liquids or fruit has been documented (John
& Skule, 2016: 326). An aggregation of males (lekking
behaviour?) in hollows of pear tree trunks was observed
in June 2001, near Dafni Village, N Greece (Benyamini,
2003b – illustr. 2)
© Dubi
© Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
Madeira, sea-level 5 june 2011
%LRORJ\
)OLJKW SHULRG April to October, 50 to 1900 m. The first
males start flying in April or later, depending on location,
females following about a week later. After mating early,
females immediately aestivate deep in the shade of
Mediterranean forests, while males survive on the wing
into July at 900 m. Jutzeler et al., (2005: 54) noted that in
Greece males rarely fly after July, whereas Larsen (1974:
143) reported taking ‘both sexes in early August’. In C
& S Levant, no males have ever been recorded in late
summer, at which time post-aestivation females reappear © Dubi Benyamini
to lay eggs in late August and early September.
/LIH KLVWRU\ in the Levant, life history is unlike that in
Europe, and the univoltine roxelana well adapts to the
xeric environment at its southern limit of distribution.
Eggs are laid singly or in pairs on dry grasses and on
the bark of trees, or in small batches of two to five eggs
(possibly more) within crevices of trees, at a height of up
to three metres. Eggs are hemispherical, slightly conic,
0.55-0.7 mm in diameter, smooth and glossy white.
L1 hatches after 8-12 days, eats the eggshell and is © Dubi Benyamini
quiescent until the re-growth of its hostplants following
rain. On eclosing, it is 1.5-2.5 mm long, dull white with 5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Poaceae (Gramineae) – Alopecurus,
seven longitudinal rows of translucent hairs encircled Anthoxanthum, Brachypodium, Briza, Bromus, Cynosurus,
with brown rings at the base, the larval body becoming Lolium, Melica, Milium, Piptatherum and Poa spp.
green after first feeding. The head is black, other than the
tiny upper ‘horns’, lower part of the head and mandibles © Dubi Benyamini
that are orange. Larvae develop slowly over the winter and 'LVWULEXWLRQ S Spain, by the cost, 2015
spring months, attaining 35-40 mm at L5, and marked
with a prominent dark green dorsal stripe, subdorsal TL: Istanbul, Izmir (Turkey). E Hungary and former Yugoslavia
longitudinal light green stripes and yellowish lateral to S Balkans, Romania, Turkey, Cyprus, Al-Lazzab Reserve
bands; white setae cover the body. There are two green Syrian Anti-Lebanon 1059-1135 m (Zarikian & Ghrejyan,
hairy ‘tails’ and the head has two unique, green, hairy 2018), Lebanon, Israel and Iraq (absent from Jordan and
upper horny protrusions, each with a dorsal white line. Sinai). Rare in Lebanon, N Golan and Mt Hermon up to 1600
The suspended pupa is 20 mm long, green or brown, lined m, common in Hatay 50–1900 m (Atahan et al., 2018: 98),
with yellow on the edges of the wing area and a diagonal common in N Israel 100 – 1150 m, uncommon in Cyprus,
line over the spiracles, with four abdominal white points. usually 300-1200 m in the Troodos range and foothills,
Colour changes to purple-gold before hatching after 11- but lower (from 90 m) in the Pentadaktylos (EJ pers. obs.). Chile, Atacama, 14 August 1994, 200 m
14 days (König, 1938 & 1958; Häuser & Schurian, 1977; The species reaches its southern limit of distribution in Mt
Jutzeler et al., 2005; DB breeding notes). Carmel, Israel (Benyamini, 1990a: 150). © Francisco M. Otero
44 37
2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 44 12/30/2021 4:21:53 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 37 12/30/2021 4:21:27 PM