LEPIDOPTERA

• S A T Y R I D A E Boisduval, 1833

  • MELANARGIA Meigen, [1828]

    
    

    • Melanargia russiae (Esper, [1783])

Melanargia russiae (Esper, [1783])

· TYPE LOCALITY. "Sudrussische Steppen" [Sevastianovka, Penza Region, Russia].

· RANGE. Scattered populations from Portugal across Middle and S. Europe, the S. Urals and Kazakhstan to S. Siberia; from Asia Minor and the Middle East across Iran and Middle Asia to Tian-Shan.

· DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The S. European part, the Caucasus Major, N. and Inner Tian-Shan, Dzhungarsky Alatau, W. Siberia, Saur, Tarbagatai, the Altai, Sayan Mts. - the nominate subspecies (= japigia Cyrilli, 1787; = suwarovius Herbst, 1796); the Caucasus Minor, the Armenian Highland, Talysh - ssp. caucasica Nordmann, 1851 (= xenia Freyer, 1845); Kopet-Dagh - ssp. transcaspica Staudinger, 1901.

· HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. Dry grassy habitats (meadows, steppe), in the Caucasus often in sparse dry mountain woodlands up to 1,500-2,500 m a.s.l. Flight period: June-July, in the southern steppes until the end of September. Host plants (Lang, 1884; Gorbunov, Korshunov, 1995; etc.): Poa, Stipa, Brachypodium, Elytrigia, Agropyron, Dactylis, Phleum, Bromus, etc.

· SIMILAR SPECIES. M. parce: UPH discal band not darkened. M. larissa: UPF cell more or less darkened.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997