LEPIDOPTERA

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

  • MELITAEA Fabricius, 1807

    
    

    • Melitaea (phoebe) punica Oberthur, 1876

Melitaea (phoebe) punica Oberthur, 1876

• TYPE LOCALITY. Lambessa [Algeria].

• RANGE. From N. Africa across Asia Minor to Transcaucasia, Iran and the S. European part.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. Specimens from Transcaucasia seem to belong to the ssp. amamca Rebel, 1917. Both the northern and the eastern borders of the distribution area of this species are unclear.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Dry to semi-desert biotopes. Flight period: June to July.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. Melitaea phoebe: larger; black marking more strongly developed. M. cinxia: submarginal fascia of UPH with black spots.

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