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Ypthima asterope Klug, 1832 African Ringlet

A small and somewhat inconspicuous satyrid, generally also polymorphic (straw colour to buff-grey or buff-green)
found from sea level to 500 m, occasionally higher. This with a brown dorsal line and a narrow, lighter line either
relict tropical species (Larsen, 1986; Larsen, 2015) has side at the FW inner margin. Before eclosion its wing
adapted to conditions in the region better than other cases turn black, then appears the FW ocelli, wings turn
#
tropical representatives of the Levant butterfly fauna. Y. black while the abdomen is still yellowish and it gets its
asterope flies erratically, sometimes direct at other times final black colour only a few hours before eclosion thus
with a skipping bobbing flight, in sparsely vegetated rocky keeping its camouflage colours as long as possible. The
areas interspersed with gullies, and bask with wings open adults emerge after 20 days in March-April and 7-15 days
to 135°-180° (flat). The species has been observed mud in May-September (DB, breeding notes; Eisenstein, 2003:
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 8 - A | 21-12-30 | 11:34:48 | SR:-- | Magenta
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 8 - A | 21-12-30 | 11:34:48 | SR:-- | Yellow
puddling (Tomer 2001b) and is attracted to fermenting 196-197).
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 8 - A | 21-12-30 | 11:34:48 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 8 - A | 21-12-30 | 11:34:48 | SR:-- | Cyan
fruit. Hilltopping is rare and was recorded on 2 July 2011 Breeding Cypriot asterope in the UK resulted in a detailed
on a local 1800 m peak of Mt Hermon (Oz, A., 2011b). Y. account of its life cycle but John et al., (2010) admitted
asterope is not regarded as a territorial species however that “Accounts of the species’ ecology and life history are © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
such behaviour was observed on 6 August 1998 in Beit rather few and lacking in detail and, as yet, there are no
Arye, 300 m when a territorial asterope male intercepted observations to confirm the pre-imaginal overwintering
a passing Hipparchia pisidice and followed it about five stage in Cyprus…”
meters out of its territory before returning to its perch This gape of knowledge was solved by the author who
(Benyamini, 1999d). Sexes are similar, but females are bred asterope in Beit Arye (320 m) Israel in an outside
larger with a noticeably larger ocellus near the forewing 1X2X1.5 m large breeding cage (Benyamini, 2020j); P. m. birgit Gross, 1978
apex. Hindwing underside ocellus vary in size and number During one complete year from early August 2019 until
across the species’ range, which has led in the past to late July 2020; nineteen adults were collected in the DGXOW
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HJJ
speculation about Mediterranean sub speciation (John et garden and adjacent wild area of the author’s house lar v a 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
pupa
al., 2010). during the first five weeks of the experiment and were P. m. birgit
provided with seven potted hostplants including six
species of Poaceae and one Cyperus sp. (Cyperaceae)
%LRORJ\ (marked with (*) in the hostplants list) and three nectar
sources: Phyla nodiflora, Ocimum basilicum and Mentha
)OLJKW SHULRG late February or Mid-March to November, longifolia. However the adults preferred mud puddling
-380 m (bsl) Dead Sea coast to 1800 m Mt Hermon local from the breeding cage’s bottom and were nectaring a © Leah Benyamini
peak in Israel; January, March-October sl-600 m in Hatay few times for longer than usual periods, preferring the
(Atahan et al., 2018: 102); sl-250 m along the Lebanese Phyla’s flowers. Daily observations of the flourishing
coast (Larsen, 1974: 140); single record at 1545 m, Al- caged colony that reached 17 flying adults on 25 October
Lazzab reserve Syrian Anti-Lebanon (Zarikian & Ghrejyan, 2019 revealed a thorough insight of asterope ethology
2018); March-November, -380 m (Dead Sea valley) to 900 and biology never observed before and finally also
m in Jordan (Larsen & Nakamura, 1983; Katbeh-Bader et discovered its overwintering behaviour.
al., 2003). Year round in warmer areas, although activity A brief account, on top of detailed life history stages
slows in the colder months (December-January). already given above include:
/LIH KLVWRU\ bivoltine or polyvoltine depending on $GXOW·V DFWLYLW\ 1 August until mid-December 2019.
location, e.g. in Cyprus there are two generations 8 April 2020 first male, 13 April first female until late
(possibly a partial third) whereas in Israel Y. asterope has July 2020 (end of the experiment) in three+ overlapping
been recorded throughout the year (Benyamini, 2002: broods. Daily activity starts as early as 06:30 AM or before
138). The female deposits a single spheroidal egg on the in mid-Summer, reduced activity in the hot hours of the
leaves of the hostplant. The egg measures 0.9-1.0 mm, day when adults hide in cooler shaded corners / under © Ali Atahan © leah Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
with very fine ca 30 vertical ribs each composed of tiny plants and resume flying in the afternoon proceeding P. m. birgit P. m. birgit
protrusions and is porcelain white when laid, changing to even after sun set (latest on June 21st at 18:52 PM Tel-
pale yellow and transparent pink where the black eyes Aviv time).
and mouth parts of the head are reflected through the
shell before eclosion. L1 hatches after ~8-12 days in &RXUWLQJ DQG PDWLQJ starts NLT one day after adults
March-April, ~6 days in June-September and 10-14 days hatchings and take place usually at midday. In aerial
in October-November. On emerging, the larva is 2.5 mm courting male fly 10-15 cm behind the female, sometimes
long, pink with five reddish stripes, its body covered with three males fly behind one female. Usually, female gets
2.5 mm long white hairs and the head, light pinkish- rid of a courting male by sudden landing, closes its wings
brown with two small “horns”. The eggshell is eaten after and hide in shaded areas. Receptive female will not
hatching. The mature larva is 20-25 mm in length and is escape and will copulate within a few seconds. Mating
polymorphic (ground colour may vary from light brown to lasted from 24 (interrupted by other males) to 50 minutes
green or maroon) with brown, green and white stripes, or more but if mating starts in the evening it will usually
slightly hairy and with a brown head and small pink tails. proceed overnight to the next morning; fifteen hours were
The pre-pupa is suspended as 17 mm long “J” shaped for recorded between 18:30 of 13 November to 09:30 the
24 hours in September but three days in mid-February next day. During the mating both abdomens keep moving
at the end of its overwintering larval hibernation. The up and down in rhythmic cycles. Female carries the male
suspended pupa is 10-14 mm long and 3-5 mm wide, in cop. but they do not to tend to fly together.
© Ali Atahan © Dubi Benyamini
© Ali Atahan
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