LEPIDOPTERA

• H E S P E R I I D A E Latreille, 1809

  • MUSCHAMPIA Tutt, [1906]

    
    

    • Muschampia proto (Ochsenheimer, 1808)

Muschampia proto lycaonius (Wagner, 1929)

• TYPE LOCALITY. Portugal.

• RANGE. From N. Africa and the Iberian Peninsula across S. Europe to Palestine and Iran.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The S. European part, the Crimea, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia and W. Kazakhstan. Variable throughout the range, forming a number of subspecies; populations from the S. European part and the Caucasus are close .to the ssp. lycaonius (Wagner, 1929) (= hieromax Hemming, 1932; = sovietica Sichel, 1964).

• TAXONOMIC NOTES. According to recent studies (Hesselbarth et al., 1995), in the adjacent parts of Asia Minor there are two members of this group, viz. M. proto aragonensis (De Sagarra, 1924) and M. proteides (Wagner, 1929) (= lycaonius Wagner, 1929). Hence, further efforts are required to refine the taxonomy and nomenclature of all taxa of the group.

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Xerophytic habitats on plains and in the mountains up to 2,000 m a.s.l. Flight period: April-August in one or, in some localities, presumably two generations depending on local conditions. Host plant: Phlomis (Ph. kopetdaghensis, Ph. pungens), Hypogomphia purpurea. Hibernation as eggs.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. M. staudingeri: UPS spots white; UNH white pattern better developed.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997