Melanargia occitanica

Melanargia occitanica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Melanargia
Species:	M. occitanica
Binomial name
	Melanargia occitanica; Esper, 1793

Melanargia occitanica, the western marbled white, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae.[1]

Distribution

It can be found in North Africa and south western Europe.(West Morocco, South-west Europe, Portugal, Spain, South France and Italian Alps).

Description

The length of the forewings is 25–28 mm. Seitz - M. syllius Hbst. (= occitanica Esp.) (39 d, e). At once recognized by the veins and transverse lines forming a network of brown markings on the hindwing beneath, the large ocelli with their heavy whitish violet centres standing in between the stripes. The cell of the forewing above bears a black transverse line not far from its apex.[2]

Melanargia occitanica ♂
Melanargia occitanica ♂ △

Subspecies

Melanargia occitanica pelagia Oberthür, 1911 Morocco
Melanargia occitanica megalatlasica Tarrier, 1995 Tizi-n-Talrhemt High Atlas,Morocco
Melanargia occitanica moghrebiana Varin, 1951 Ifrane, Azrou, Annoceur, Tizi-n-Foucht, Col du Taghzeft, Aghbalou-Larbi in the Middle Atlas

Biology

In Europe the butterflies fly in one generation from April to June.In Morocco only in May.In Europe the habitat is garrigue ; in Morocco the edges of mountain forests.

The larvae feed on various grasses- Brachypodium pinnatum, Dactylis glomerata, Lygeum spartum.

References

"Melanargia Meigen, 1828" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
Seitz. A. in Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

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[1] "Melanargia Meigen, 1828" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms

[2] Seitz. A. in Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.