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Hyponephele lupinus* (Costa, [1836]) Oriental Meadow Brown Coenonympha saadi (Kollar, [1849]) Saadi’s Heath

A medium-sized satyrine, better adapted to southern of H. lycaon, is green with variable longitudinal white and C. saadi is a low flying species displaying the typical
xeric environments than other Levant genera such dark stripes and suspends at the base of the hostplant, bouncy flight of the heaths and inhabits grassy patches
as Kirinia, Lasiommata, Maniola and Pararge, an hatching after 10-15 days (González Granados et al., in hot bare areas and rocky slopes, seeking shade
adaptation that has resulted in its southern distributional 2009: 433; Hesselbarth, 1988; Jutzeler & Lafranchis, among vegetation only at the warmest time of the
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limit in Israel extending to the N Negev Desert, as far 2005; Lafranchis et al., 2015: 610; first author breeding day. The species is readily identified by an unusually
as Nahal Eshtamoa (500 m), Yatir Forest (700-900 notes). positioned blind ocellus prominent in V2 and a cream
m, southeastern slopes of Mt Hebron) and Arad City. post discal band across fore- and hindwings.
H. lupinus descends to Ma’ale Adumim, E Jerusalem, 5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Poaceae (Gramineae). Lafranchis
Judean Desert (350-400 m), the western upper (2019) found larvae on Festuca sp. in Greece.
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21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 4 - B | 22-01-02 | 10:39:03 | SR:-- | Yellow
Samarian desert at Rimonim NE Jerusalem (650 m) and Tshikolovets (2011: 344) added Aegilops geniculata, %LRORJ\ DGXOW
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 4 - B | 22-01-02 | 10:39:03 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 4 - B | 22-01-02 | 10:39:03 | SR:-- | Cyan
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is at home at over 1000 m in the karstic steppe Irano- Bromus erectus, Poa annua - illustr., Stipa pennata and HJJ 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
lar v a
Turanian region on Mt Hermon. In Cyprus, lupinus can be S. offneri. )OLJKW SHULRG late May to July (below 2000 m); July to pupa
common near sl (EJ, pers. obs.) and, as in other areas, HDUO\ $XJXVW DW KLJKHU HOHYDWLRQV %D\WDû
occasionally shares the same biotopes as Maniola spp., &RQVHUYDWLRQ although grazing is monitored (and
with which there is much morphological and behavioural restricted to three months a year) within planted forests /LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine, but possibly bivoltine in ssp.
similarity. On two occasions in June 1974, males were at its southern distributional limit in Israel, the satyrines mesopotamica. Hesselbarth (1983a) reported on
observed on an Anti-Lebanon mountaintop at 2814 m, are in permanent decline, retreating northwards to the S the rearing of larvae collected from four females in
suggesting these were hilltopping specimens. In August West Bank (Abusarhan et al., 2016 and recently received mid-July 1982 in Gürün, Sivas, CN Turkey. Eggs are
2014, above Newe Ativ (1150 m) on the western slopes conservation status Endangered (EN) in the Israeli greenish-white, with 24 uneven whitish ribs (counted
of Mt Hermon, patrolling males were observed flying over Butterflies Red list (Renan et al., 2022 (in prep.)). in mid-section), barrel-shaped with a flat bottom and
a field of Eryngium glomeratum (Apiaceae), an excellent top, with the micropyle area slightly elevated as in
nectar source; they were seen to be courting females other Turkish Coenonympha spp. Brown spots cover C. s.mesopotamica Heyne, 1894
that were flying low over the ground, often settling to 'LVWULEXWLRQ its surface before eclosion. L1 hatched after 6-7
take nectar (DB, pers. obs.). days and accepted Poa annua, possibly eating the
TL: “Bosco di Guagnano nelle foreste di Terra d’ Otranto”, eggshell before doing so. The mature larva is 20-21
DB prefers to use lupinus rather than lupina, reflecting the [Puglia, Naples, S Italy]. The species’ distribution mm long, chunky, light green with longitudinal mid-
original description, Satyrus lupinus. ranges from N Africa and S Europe across Turkey, N dorsal and two subdorsal darker green lines. The
Iraq, W & N Iran, Kazakhstan, Asia and the Himalayas lower lateral band is yellowish as are the spots around © Dubi Benyamini
to NW Mongolia, Lake Baikal and S Siberia (Eckweiler & the spiracles. The head is green and the tail ends in
%LRORJ\ Bozano, 2011: 50; Tuzov et al., 1997(1): 219). a short fork. The yellowish-green, 7-8 mm long pupa
,Q WKH DUHD RI WKH /HYDQW Hatay, S Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, is suspended from a grass blade and has two oblique
)OLJKW SHULRG April/May into October, depending on Lebanon, Golan Heights, Jordan (N Mediterranean zone) brown streaks on the wing case (Hesselbarth et al.,
location; June-September in Hatay, 800-2000 m Atahan and Israel. Absent from the S Jordanian Edom Mountains 1995(2): 817, fig 10), emerging after two weeks.
et al., 2018: 90); June-August in Lebanon, 1000 m and (too arid) and Sinai. Overwinters in the L2-L3 larval stages.
above (Larsen, 1974: 139); 1545-2029 m at Al-Lazzab
reserve Syrian Anti-Lebanon (Zarikian & Ghrejyan, 2018); 7KUHH VXEVSHFLHV KDYH EHHQ OLVWHG IURP WKH /HYDQW 5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Poaceae (Gramineae) – Poa © Leah Benyamini © Leah Benyamini
May-September, 100-1200 m in Israel (Benyamini, Hyponephele lupinus intermedia (Staudinger, 1886); annua (in lab.) and possibly other grasses in the wild.
1990: 146); May-September, 500-1100 in N Jordan TL: “Samarkand, Margelan” [E Uzbekistan] (lectotype
(Larsen& Nakamura, 1983; Ketbeh-Bader et al., 2003); designated by Wagener, in Hesselbarth et al., 1995,
April-October, sl-1950 m in Cyprus (Makris, 2003: 287). from Amasia, S Turkey). H. l. centralis (Riley, 1921); 'LVWULEXWLRQ
Both sexes partially aestivate in the summer months, TL: Iraq, Iran-Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. H. l.
emerging in the autumn to feed and oviposit. cypriaca (Riley, 1921); TL: Nicosia, Cyprus. H. l. cypriaca TL: “Farsistan” (Shiraz, South Iran). Distributed from
is tentatively included here as an endemic ssp. to SE Turkey, Armenia, through Iraq, central and northern
/LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine. Ovipositing takes place in mid- Cyprus, but doubt remains over its ssp. status. Olivier Iran to Transcaucasia. C. saadi reaches its western
September/early October. Eggs are laid on dry, small low- (1993: 178) stated, ‘Material from Kípros shows a distribution limit on the outer fringes of the Levant in
growing plants, even under small stones in bare areas. high proportion of dark specimens…, but there is much Kilis Province, Turkey where it was observed 10 km © Leah Benyamini © Leah Benyamini
White when laid, the eggs are slightly conical, flattened overlap with material from several Turkish populations…’ east of Hatay, near Akbez and near the road to Kilis
at the top and have 18-21 ridges. Colour changes to Olivier further expressed the view that all populations City, its entrance point to NE Levant (Bozano, 2002: 55;
pink before eclosion. L1 hatches after 10-14 days and from the broader region, ‘…should be lumped under Hesselbarth et al., 1995(2): 802); Zarikian, 2016; Ali
eats part of the eggshell. L1 is yellowish, 2 mm long with nominotypical H. lupina.’ However, as with other Cyprus Atahan, pers. comm.). Absent from Cyprus, N Syria(?),
seven longitudinal reddish-brown stripes and six rows of satyrines, isolation may eventually lead to speciation. Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula. The
long white hairs arising out of tiny black projections. The local ssp. is C. saadi mesopotamica Heyne, 1894 TL
light brown head is wider than the abdomen, its upper “Mesopotamien [Mardin]” (SE Turkey).
area having many dark points. Overwinters in the larval H. l. cypriaca
stage, feeding slowly on warmer days in temperate areas
where regrowth of grasses occurs in autumn, and in
others, resuming feeding upon availability of hostplants
the following spring. The mature larva is 28-32 mm
in length, with a green dorsal stripe and white lateral
stripes. The head is green with two oblique dark brown
stripes, bordered with bold white margins. The ‘tails’ of
the abdomen are pinkish and longer than those of H.
lycaon. The 16 mm long pupa is slightly longer than that © Eddie John © Dubi Benyamini © Leah Benyamini
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2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 58 12/30/2021 4:22:44 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 55 12/30/2021 4:22:33 PM