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Pseudochazara amalthea / White-banded Grayling
Antela
Nymphalidae - Satyrinae
Pseudochazara amalthea (Frivaldszky, 1845). TL: .Crete.
 
 
1a. Pseudochazara amalthea, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Pseudochazara amalthea ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Habitat of Pseudochazara amalthea. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Pseudochazara amalthea ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 23-25 mm.
Ups: brown gc, irregular white postdiscal band.
Upf: conspicuous sex-brand, blind ocelli in s2 and s5 (often blind)
Uph: distal fulvous suffusion of white postdiscal band, one small white-pupilled ocellus at the anal angle.
Uns: paler marbled grey-brown gc.
Unf: larger and often white-pupilled ocelli.
Unh: white postdiscal band and small white-pupilled ocellus at the anal angle.
♀♀
Larger.
Uns: paler gc, reduced to vestigial white postdiscal band.
Similar species
For a quick comparison (the figures for P. amymone are based on older specimens)
Life cycle
Adults: single generation from June to September, ♀♀ aestivating.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering.
Pupa: short stage.
Habitat
Pseudochazara amalthea inhabits dry and hot, rocky slopes with sparse grasses (limestone and ophiolite) from 400 up to 1800 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement moderate, population density can be moderate.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Festuca sp.
Butterflies feed on available flowers.
Distribution
Albania: local in southern Albania (more research needed)
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Greek islands adjacent to Turkey and Asia Minor: sibling species, Pseudochazara anthelea.
Conservation status
Pseudochazara amalthea is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: VU.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC (as P. anthelea)
Useful links
Lepiforum
(url) Verovnik R. & Wiemers M. 2016. Species delimitation in the Grayling genus Pseudochazara (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) supported by DNA barcodes. — Zookeys 600: 131-154.
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