LEPIDOPTERA

• N Y M P H A L I D A E Swainson, 1827

  • EUPHYDRYAS Scudder, 1872

    
    

    • Euphydryas (aurinia) provincialis (Boisduval, 1828)

Euphydryas (aurinia) provincialis (Boisduval, 1828)

• RANGE. From S. Europe and N. Africa in the west to Transcaucasia and Asia Minor in the east.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. Over the steppe belt of the European part and at the foothills of the Caucasus Major, the ssp. uolhynica (Ksienschopolsky, 1912) is known to occur, while Transcaucasia supports the spp. amastna (Seitz, [1909]).

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Steppe-clad meadows and/or dry slopes up to 1,500 m a.s.l. Flight period: June to July. Host plants in Transcaucasia (Dantchenko, in press): Cephalarici gigantea; in Turkey (Hesselbarth et aL, 1995): Scabiosa praten-sis, S. columbaria.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. Euphydryas aurinia: slightly smaller; black marking of UPS more complete; ground colour UPS orange-red. E. orientalis: black marking of UPS highly contrasting; ground colour UPS paler; orange, submarginal fascia highly contrasting. E. merope: smaller; black marking of UPS extended and heavy; ground colour UPS pale yellow or pale grey.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 2. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 2000