LEPIDOPTERA
H E S P E R I I D A E Latreille, 1809
HETEROPTERUS Dumeril, 1806
Heteropterus morpheus (Pallas, 1771)
Heteropterus morpheus (Pallas, 1771)
• TYPE LOCALITY. "circa Samaram" [Samara, Volga region].
• SYNONYMS: steropes [Dennis et Schiffermuller], 1775.
• RANGE. Temperate Europe and Asia from Spain to Mongolia, N. China and Korea.
• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The European part, the Caucasus, Siberia from the Urals and the Altai to the Ussuri region. Relatively constant in external features throughout the distribution range.
• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Humid meadows, grassy moors, forest edges. Flight period: end of June to August in a single generation. Host plants in Europe (Eckstein, 1913): Eriophorum, grasses (Poa annua, Calamagrostis canescens, Bra-chypodium, Molinia). Larvae hibernating in shelters made of leaves tied together.
Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997