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Muschampia lavatherae / Marbled Skipper
Flatramermerta
Hesperiidae - Pyrginae
Muschampia lavatherae (Esper, [1783]). TL: S. France.
 
 
1a. Muschampia lavatherae, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Muschampia lavatherae underside. Greece (© Lazaros Pamperis)
1c. Muschampia lavatherae upperside. Greece (© Lazaros Pamperis)
1d. Muschampia lavatherae upperside. (© Lazaros Pamperis)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 14-17 mm.
Ups: light olive-brown gc and marbled darker.
Upf: vitreous spots prominent in cell spot and s2.
Uph: contrasting darker gc with conspicuous white discal spots, saggitate postdiscal spots.
Uns: very pale whitish gc, slightly darker (sometimes) in discal area, markings vestigial.
Unf: no hair-tuft.
♀♀
Slightly larger than ♂♂.
Ups: markings quite similar, slightly more contrasted.
Similar species
Life cycle
Adults: single generation from May to August (depending on altitude)
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering as half-grown caterpillar.
Pupa: short stage.
Habitat
Muschampia lavatherae inhabits dry flowery slopes in hilly area from lowland to subalpine mountain level, on calcareaous soils up to 1750 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement considerable, population density low.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed mainly on Stachys sp., also mentioned are Sideritis sp.
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers.
Distribution
Albania: quite widespread in the mountains.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.
Conservation status
Muschampia lavatherae is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: VU.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
leps.it
Euroleps
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