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Data deficient (DD)
Muschampia tessellum / Tessellated Skipper
E kafejta mozaik
Hesperiidae - Heteropterinae
Muschampia tessellum (Hübner, [1803]). TL: S. Russia.
 
  
1a. Muschampia tessellum, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Muschampia tessellum ♂ upperside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Habitat of Muschampia tessellum. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Muschampia tessellum ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Muschampia tessellum ♂ lateral. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Note
Only Murraj (1972) listed and figured a specimen of this big and relatively easy to observe Skipper without mentioning any detail on locality and date. It is considered DD in the lchecklist. Near Albania the species is known from Western Macedonia (GR) and Galičica Mt. (MAC)
The only foodplants that have been confirmed in Europe are Phlomis samia and Phlomis tuberosa. So far, P. samia has not been documented from Albania. P. tuberosa is present near Cerjë, Phlomis fruticosa s widespread and Phlomis herba-venti is known from Mali i Thatë. This xero-thermophilic species can be found from May till August. It can be searched on moderately dry to mesophilic, extensively grazed, pastures with some trees and shrubs from lowland to 1900 m a.s.l.
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly but a rather large Skipper. Fw: 16-18 mm.
Ups: dark grey gc, large, fully developed white markings, row of equal submarginal dots.
Upf: single pair of discal spots in s1b.
Unh: pale olive gc, irregular band in discal area.
♀♀
Similar wingspan and markings.
Similar species
Muschampia alta
Smaller Muschampia.
Upf:
Yellowish hairs.
Uph:
No small dot-shaped markings.
Unf:
Unh:
Yellow-grey to sandy-red
gc.
Muschampia proto and Muschampia proteides
Sibling species
Not present in the Balkan peninsula.
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Life cycle
Adults: single generation starting in the second half of May with long emergence till mid-August (or a second partial generation)
Egg: probably short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering as L2 or L3 larva and feeding again in spring till pupation.
Pupa: short stage.
Habitat
Muschampia tessellum inhabits open grassy areas with abundant flowers, almost not grazed, often in wide open forest and forest clearings, in Greece up to 1000 m a.s.l.
Butterflies active nectaring on high flowers, not far from the foodplants.
Spatial requirement modest, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Phlomis samia (not recorded from Albania) and Phlomis tuberosa, also Phlomis herba-venti has been mentioned.
Butterflies are feeding on a variety of low flowers and perching on higher flowers.
Distribution
Albania: not recorded.
Nearest localities: Ohrid and Mt. Galicica (NMK)
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 tessellum is is at the western limit of its European range in the Balkan peninsula and for the moment not confirmed from Albania.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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