Melanargia russiae
Encyclopedia
Esper's Marbled White is a butterfly
in the
family
Nymphalidae
. It is found in Spain
, Portugal
, south-eastern France
, Italy
, the Balkans
, southern Russia
, the Caucasus
and western Siberia
.
The male has a wingspan of 26-30 mm. Adults are on wing in from June to August, although mainly in July in rocky places. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Brachypodium
, Poa
, Stipa pennata
and Aegilops geniculata
. It overwinters in the larval stage
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
. It is found in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, south-eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, southern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and western Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
The male has a wingspan of 26-30 mm. Adults are on wing in from June to August, although mainly in July in rocky places. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Brachypodium
Brachypodium
Brachypodium is a genus of about 26 annual or perennial bunch grasses from the Northern Hemisphere. Flimsy upright stems form tussocks. Flowers appear in compact spike-like racemes with 5-25 flowers on each short-stalked spikelet in summer...
, Poa
Poa
Poa is a genus of about 500 species of grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass , bluegrass , tussock , and speargrass. "Poa" is Greek for fodder...
, Stipa pennata
Stipa pennata
Stipa pennata, common name feather grass, is a flowering plant in the family Poaceae, which is grown as an ornamental plant for its feathery flowering spikes....
and Aegilops geniculata
Aegilops geniculata
Aegilops geniculata is a species of grass known by the common name ovate goatgrass. It is native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, including Palestine and the Levant.Elsewhere it is known as a noxious weed.250px|right-External links:****...
. It overwinters in the larval stage
Subspecies
- Melanargia russiae russiae
- Melanargia russiae caucasiaca Nordmann, 1851 (Caucasus Minor, Armenian Highland, Talysh)
- Melanargia russiae transcaspica Staudinger, 1901 (Kopet-Dagh)