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LEPIDOPTERA

Melitaea trivia ([Denis et Schiffermuller], 1775)
Melitaea trivia ([Denis et Schiffermuller], 1775)

• TYPE LOCALITY. «Wien» [Vienna, Austria].

• SYNONYMS. iphigenia (Esper, [1782]), nom. praeoccup.; antigonus (Herbst, 1800); cleo (Latreille, 1803), etc., see below.

• RANGE. From central and S. Europe, Asia Minor, W. Siberia to the Altais; NW. China and Mongolia, the mountains of Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and NW. India.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. A widespread and strongly variable species with inclinations to forming local isolates. The development of a black pattern and the colour brightness of the wing background frequently depends on generation and particular ecological conditions, especially humidity. In our opinion, the following subspecies deserve mention from the territories concerned: ssp. fascelis (Esper, [1783]) (= minor Ksienschopolsky, 1912; = striata Ksienschopolsky, 1912; = paula Obraztsov, 1936) - S. European part; ssp. uvarovi P. Gorbunov, 1995 - plains of Kazakhstan, W. Siberia, Tarbagatai, Saur and Dzhungarsky Alatau mts.; ssp. smgularici Korshunov. 1995-Tuva, Siberia; ssp. caucas i Verity, 1922 - Caucasus and Transcaucasia; ssp. nana Staudinger, 1871 (= pseudodidyma Rebel, 1905; = syriaca Rebel, 1905; = aabacci Fruhstorfer, 1917; = wyatti Gross et Ebert, 1975) - Kopet-Dagh Mts.; ssp. catapelia Staudinger, 1886 (= bactriana. J. Shchetkin, 1984) - Ghissar, Alai and Tian-Shan; ssp. Chorosana J. J. Shchetkin, 1984 - S. Ghissar; ssp. petri. J. Shchetkin, 1984 - Darvaz; ssp. nativci Tuzov,nom. nov. pro Melitaea catapelia shugnana J. J. Shchetkin, 1984, nom. praeoccup., cf. Melitaea didyma shugnana Sheljuzhko, 1929 - W. Pamirs.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Semi-deserts, open landscapes, xerothermic biotopes with thin vegetation, in the mountains up to 3,000-3,500 m a.s.l. Flight period: May to August, usually in two generations. Host plants: Scrophularia, Eremostachys.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. Melitaea persea: larger; black marking reduced; FW without white apical dot. M. enarea, M. didyma: submarginal orange fascia of UNH not split into separate spots. M. romanovi: yellowish spots behind discal spot of UPF often prominent and frequently developed into a fascia.

 

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