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LEPIDOPTERA

Melitaea (didyma) persea Kollar, [1849]
Melitaea (didyma) persea Kollar, [1849]

• TYPE LOCALITY. «Farsistan» [Shiraz, Iran].

• SYNONYMS. caucasica Staudinger, 1861 nomen nudum; caucasica Staudinger, 1870; dodgsoni Grose-Smith, 1887; kaschtschenkoi Christoph, 1889; paphlagonia Fruhstorfer, 1917: araratica Verity. 1929; magnacasta Verity, 1929; sargon Hemming, 1932; tauricus Belter, 1934; micro tauricus Belter, 1934; montium Belter, 1934; hqfiz Higgins, 1941; afghana Heydemann, 1954; darius Gross et Ebert, 1975; pfeifferi Gross et Ebert, 1975; wernickei Gross et Ebert, 1975.

• RANGE. From S. Europe across Asia Minor and Transcaucasia to Afghanistan and the W. Tian-Shan.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. A rather high individual variability associated with increased ecological plasticity, the vast distribution and the presence of several generations has been the reason for the description of numerous many taxa, actually infraspecific forms. We adhere to the viewpoint that division into subspecies is unwarranted (e.g., Hesselbarth et al., 1995). In addition, both M. (d.) interrupta and M. (d.) persea appear to display many morphs close to M. (d.) didyma, especially in the southern part of the distribution area. Over the territories concerned, this species occurs in Transcaucasia, the Kopet-Dagh, the W. Tian-Shan and ?Ghissar.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Xerothermic foothill or mountain biotopes up to 2,500 m a.s.l. Flight period: April to July, in two or even more generations, depending on local conditions. Host plant: Scrophularia.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. Melitaea didyma, M. interrupta, M. ala, M. ninae, M. enarea, M. kotshubeji: on UNH, submarginal orange fascia not split into separate spots. M. mimetica: on FW, yellowish spots behind discal spot often prominent and frequently developed into a fascia. M. trivia: smaller; black marking more strongly developed; FW with a white apical dot, as a rule.

 

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