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)OLJKW SHULRG ‘early February to mid-April in up to three
broods; each brood only flies for a very short period’
(Pittaway, 1979: 96); variable, between early February
and early April in a rainy year, but only mid to late April in M. persea
#
a dry year (Pittaway 1981: 31); February to May (Larsen, M.a. acentria
1983: 434); February – April (Walker & Pittaway, 1987:
94). Numbers and flight period fluctuate each year, M. acentria ssp. ?
depending on the weather. In some dry years no adults © DUBI Benyamini © DUBI Benyamini © DUBI Benyamini
are produced (Larsen, 1983: 434; Pittaway; 1985: 191).
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 13 - A | 21-12-30 | 11:34:48 | SR:-- | Magenta
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 13 - A | 21-12-30 | 11:34:48 | SR:-- | Yellow
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 13 - A | 21-12-30 | 11:34:48 | SR:-- | Black
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 13 - A | 21-12-30 | 11:34:48 | SR:-- | Cyan
/LIH KLVWRU\ egg laying was never observed (Pittaway, M. a. arabica
pers. comm. to DB) but aggregation of larvae strongly
suggest that it does not differ from the northern M. a. DGXOW
acentria, i.e. eggs are laid in batches on the LHP low HJJ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
lar v a
pupa
down near the ground. Young larvae are gregarious,
later spreading over the hostplant where “...some areas
being completely stripped of leaves, flowers, as well as
seedpods” (Pittaway, 1979: 96). The life cycle of M. a.
arabica matches the seasonality of its sole LHP; in spring © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
when blue ‘carpets’ of the LHP cover the biotope arabica 4
manages to rapidly produce two generations. At this time
its greatest enemy is the domestic goat which, having
exhausted the less aromatic plants, moves on to nibble Holotype
the LHP. However, by this period the final brood small (L2
– L3) larvae have already finished their growth and are
hiding in their summer diapause at the base of the LHP.
Pittaway (1985: 191) did not record any adults following 7
a ‘very dry winter and spring’ of 1984, suggesting that
the diapausing L3 larvae did not emerge from their
diapause web and ‘skipped an unfavourable year’. Such © Dubi Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
long-term larval summer diapause in Nymphalidae / M. a. arabica
Melitainae is yet unknown to DB (except Melitaea spp. in
high latitudes where larval overwintering of cold period
may last more than a year). The pupa (12-15 mm long)
is typical Melitaea, in being pearly white with small black
and tan specks. These are normally formed at the base
of the LHP, although many of the first generation hang
fully exposed on the upper stems, where they form up in
a week (Pittaway, 1979: 96). [Both the L5 larva and pupa
are illustrated in monochrome in Pittaway (1979: plate
vii), and in color in Walker & Pittaway (1987: 94).]
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© Tony Pittaway w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w a ay y y y y y y y y y y y y y
5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV solely the perennial Teucrium
oliverianum (Lamiaceae) - illustr. 8 - the Desert 2
Germander, that following the winter rains cover wadi © Dubi Benyamini © Zvika Avni © Eran Benyamini
bottoms with carpets of blue (Pittaway; 1979: 96). It is “A
leafy bushy woody stemmed perennial herb with rounded
stems to 40 cm tall…abundant in scattered localities in
the north” (Collenette, 1999: 466). Teucrium orientale
L. is a secondary LHP of M. a. acentria on Mt Hermon –
illustr. 9. The Arabian Fritillary was not found by DB on paratype of ´M. persea sargonµ
Hemming, 1932,
Teucrium pruinosum Boiss. in S Jordan – illustr. 1 (det. Jordan, Wadi Rajil 20.4.1927
Dr Ori Fragman-Sapir, Jerusalem botanical gardens).
© Trustees Natural History Museum London, used with permission
crack itself has become a major wadi (Wadi Hanifa) and
'LVWULEXWLRQ sink for water, hence the numerous oases (Pittaway, pers.
comm. to DB). Also recorded from: Sudus, Wadi Durmah,
distributed in central Saudi Arabia along a narrow strip Wadi Hanifa and Diriyah (Larsen, 1983). On 30.3.1983
of ‘hills’, from Ad Dilam (south of Riyadh) to Az Zilfi the first brooded parartypes were collected at Al Ghat at
(near Al Ghat) to the northwest of Riyadh, always in the the northern end of the Jabal Tuwaiq (1150 m). Although
main wadis which run off the Jabal Tuwaiq escarpment. searched for, this taxon was never found in the Jabal
Actually, these hills fringe a long ‘crack’ in the limestone Shammar farther north. It is unlikely to be found there as
of the Nejd Plateau into which numerous wadis flow. The no suitable hostplants were found (Pittaway, 1985: 191). © Eran Benyamini © Dubi Benyamini
204 197