Zegris eupheme
| Zegris eupheme | ||||||||||||
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Zegris eupheme |
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| Esper , 1804 |
Zegris eupheme is a palaearctic widespread butterfly ( butterflies ) from the family of white flies (Pieridae).
features
The moths are mostly white on the upper side of the wing and have gray to black scaling on the forewings in the apical area. There is also a kidney-shaped, orange-colored spot that may be smaller or even almost absent in females. On the forewing upper and lower side there is a prominent, black discoidal spot , which is elongated and approximately C-shaped. The forewing underside is otherwise also almost entirely white and has only a yellowish colored apex . The orange spot on the tip of the forewing can show through to the underside. The most striking feature is the mainly yellow-colored underside of the hind wings. This is also marbled with a variable pattern of fine, gray scales. The areas between this pattern can be lightened to white, creating some large, bright spots. The drawing on the underside of the hind wings often shows through to the forewings. The species can be distinguished from males of similar species such as the yellow aurora butterfly ( Anthocharis euphenoides ), Anthocharis belia or the eastern aurora butterfly ( Anthocharis damone ) by the larger wingspan of 46 to 51 mm and by the white upper side of the forewings with smaller orange markings become. The females of the aurora butterflies, on the other hand, either have no or a significantly larger orange markings on the forewings and are also smaller. The closely related species Zegris pyrothoe , whose distribution area in southern Russia and Kazakhstan overlaps with that of Zegris eupheme , has white-green and non-yellow marbled hind wing undersides.
Similar species
- Yellow aurora butterfly ( Anthocharis euphenoides )
- Eastern aurora butterfly ( Anthocharis damone )
- Anthocharis belia
- Zegris pyrothoe
Subspecies
- Zegris eupheme eupheme ( Esper , [1804]); Type location : Sevastopol, Crimea
- Zegris eupheme menestho ( Ménétriés , 1832); Type location: Azerbaijan
- Zegris eupheme larseni ( Pittaway , 1986); Type Location: Haql, Saudi Arabia
- Zegris eupheme meridionalis ( Lederer , 1852); Type location: Andalusia, Spain
- Zegris eupheme maroccana ( Bernardi , 1950); Type locality: Ifrane, Morocco
According to Back 2012, the populations in Spain and Morocco are considered to be a separate species Zegris meridionalis with the subspecies Zegris meridionalis maroccana due to sufficiently high base differences and geographical isolation . However, this split is controversial.
Occurrence and habitat
Zegris eupheme has a distinctly two-part distribution area with the westernmost populations in southern Spain and Morocco . The eastern part of the distribution area extends from central Turkey via Syria , Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the south and eastern Ukraine , Russia , Kazakhstan and the Caucasus in the north to the Altai and the southern Urals .
The species inhabits steppes and semi-deserts . Habitats are mainly dry, mostly stony areas with flowers and grass with occurrences of caterpillar forage plants. Often to no longer a working culture country like spent orchards or olive groves. Altitudes from 500 to 2750 m are populated. The populations in the mountains are mainly those in the High Atlas (occurrence up to 2750 m) and in the Transcaucasus , inland Turkey and Iran (occurrence up to 2500 m). In the high elevations of the mountains, more humid and vegetation-rich meadows are sometimes populated. In the Ukraine and southern Russia, on the other hand, the species is widespread in the low mountain range and rarely rises above 1000 m. In Spain, too, only altitudes of up to 1400 m are reached.
Way of life
The flight time begins in very warm areas such as Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well as in the lower elevations of the distribution area at the end of March, otherwise around the beginning of April and lasts until the end of May. In the higher elevations of the distribution area, the start of the flight season can be delayed until the end of May and the end of August.
Various cruciferous vegetables ( Brassicaceae ) serve as caterpillar food . In the distribution area of Spain and Morocco the main forage plants are woad ( Isatis tinctoria ) and Grausenf ( Hirschfeldia incana ). For the eastern distribution areas, these are above all mustards ( Sinapis ), radishes ( Raphanus ), cresses ( Lepidium ) such as Lepidium vesicarium , rocket ( Sisymbrium ) and Camelina laxa , with the exception of Ze larseni , where the caterpillars live on Erucaria boveana . The moths usually lay the eggs one by one on the flower buds. Pupation does not take place freely on plant stems, as is usual for whites, but in a web on the ground. The pupa hibernates.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Vadim Tshikolovets: Butterflies of Europe and the Mediterranean area . 2011, ISBN 978-80-904900-0-0 , pp. 124 .
- ↑ a b c d e Werner Back: Phenotypical and genotypical delimitation of the species and subspecies of the genus Zegris . tape 43 . Atalanta, 2012, ISSN 0171-0079 , p. 77-86 .
- ↑ Determination aid of the Lepiforum: Zegris Eupheme. Retrieved May 20, 2018 .
- ^ A b Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: Collins Butterfly Guide - The Most Complete Field Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe . Harper Collins, 2008, ISBN 978-0-00-727977-7 , pp. 64 .
