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Brintesia circe (Fabricius 1775) Great Banded Grayling 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 5 - B | 22-01-02 | 10:39:03 | SR:-- | Cyan

A hilltopping species, flying in rocky and grassy areas
along tracks or margins of forests. Mate location: in the
morning, males patrol slowly over grasses in search of
females, while later perching in wait on low branches and
tree trunks. Basking aggregations have been reported.
Late in their flight season, females may migrate out of
their biotopes to wet mesophilic forests seeking nectar.
In Hatay, open Quercus cerris woods are often preferred.
Adults rest on rocks and tree trunks, wings closed and © Martin Gascoigne-Pees © Martin Gascoigne-Pees © Christodoulos Makris
well camouflaged. The pink/violet flowers of Asteraceae,
Dipsaceae and Acantholimon sp. (Plumbaginaceae)
(Bemyamini, 2001c – illustr.) attract adults that may
also feed on tree sap; feeding has been noted as late DGXOW 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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as 21:00. Courtship begins in the air shortly after the lar v a
pupa
female emerges and specimens may remain in cop.
overnight (Tristan Lafranchis, pers. comm. to DB). Mated
females reject further male advances by vibrating their
wings.
%LRORJ\
)OLJKW SHULRG late May-July, 800-2000 m at Hatay © Christodoulos Makris © Christodoulos Makris
(Atahan et al., 2018: 81, Benyamini, 2001c, Benyamini
& Tomer, 2002).

/LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine. The egg is a slightly flattened
oval-shape, 0.7-0.8 mm in diameter, semi-matt and
yellowish-white when ejected in flight, or while the
female rests on tall grasses. After 2-4 weeks, the egg
turns to pink and brown before eclosing. L1 feeds by
day on grasses, sometimes on sedges, and grows to L2-
L3 before diapausing. The mature larva feeds at night
and hides at the base of the hostplant or under stones
during daytime. At maturity, the larva measures 45-50
mm, with light grey and dark brown longitudinal stripes,
six of the latter crossing to the front of the head. Prolegs
are dark brown. The pupa is semi-glossy, light brown © Christodoulos Makris © Christodoulos Makris © M. Gascoigne-Pees © M. Gascoigne-Pees
and is formed ventral side up in a hollow below ground,
eclosing in 2-4 weeks (Lafranchis et al., 2015: 694-695;
SBN, 1987: 249-250; Tolman & Lewington, 1997: 208).
5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Poaceae (Gramineae). On
25.6.2014, fresh adults were observed flying over
Bromus japonica, the dominant local LHP within an
open, stunted oak forest, in S Amanos between Serinyol
to Arsuz (1170 m) (DB, pers. obs.). Also: Bromus, Lolium
& Festuca spp. Sometimes Cyperaceae spp.
'LVWULEXWLRQ
© Dubi Benyamini
TL: Europe (Germany, Verity, 1953). Distributed from
Portugal, Spain & France across S and C Europe to
Turkey, the Caucasus, N Iraq and NW Iran. In the Levant,
B. circe reaches its southernmost limit in S Hatay,
Turkey (Hilltopping in Jebel Akdar to 1700 m. Benyamini,
2001c) and NW Syria, where it was photographed by
Mudar Salimeh at “A Shaara Mt,” 1300 m in 2018 and
possibly observed in lower elevations at “En Layloon”
and “L. Mzeraa”. Latakia mountains & Coastal area NW
Syria (Syrian Butterflies website, 2019, last approached
23 November 2020). © Adam Warecki © Dubi Benyamini © Christodoulos Makris
78 67
2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 78 12/30/2021 4:23:40 PM 2Butterflies of the Levant danaidae satyridae.indd 67 12/30/2021 4:23:09 PM