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Pseudochazara tisiphone / Dark Grayling
Tisifonia
Nymphalidae - Satyrinae
Pseudochazara tisiphone Brown, [1981]. TL: N.W. Greece.
 
 
   
 
 
1a. Pseudochazara tisiphone, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Pseudochazara tisiphone copula. Boboshticë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Pseudochazara tisiphone ♂ underside. Bulqizë, Albania (© Laurian Parmentier)
1d. Pseudochazara tisiphone ♀ underside. Boboshticë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Pseudochazara tisiphone ♂ upperside. Bulqizë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Pseudochazara tisiphone ♂ underside. Bulqizë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1g. Pseudochazara tisiphone ♀ upperside. Krastë, Albania (© Laurian Parmentier)
1h. Pseudochazara tisiphone ♀ underside. Krastë, Albania (© Laurian Parmentier)
1i. Habitat of Pseudochazara tisiphone. Shtikë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1j. Habitat of Pseudochazara tisiphone. Bulqizë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1k. Habitat of Pseudochazara tisiphone. Bulqizë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1l. Habitat of Pseudochazara tisiphone. Voskopojë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 25-28 mm.
Ups: brown gc.
Upf: sex-brand outside cell, two white-pupilled ocelli in s2 and s5 and white dots in s3 and s4.
Uph: two small , vaguely black surrounded, white ocelli in orange submarginal band.
Unf: diffuse submarginal line, no black linear markings in the basal area, large pale orange area, slightly larger white-pupilled ocelli in s2 and s5 and larger white dots in s3 and s4.
Unh: pale mottled brown gc, rarely vestigial markings.
♀♀
Larger.
Ups: slightly paler brown gc.
Upf:
slightly stronger ocelli in s2 and s5 and white dots in s3 and s4.
Uph: slightly larger orange postdiscal band, otherwise similar as ♂♂.
Unf: diffuse submarginal line, no black linear markings in the basal area, large orange area, slightly stronger ocelli.
Unh: pale mottled brown gc, rarely vestigial markings.
Similar species
Pseudochazara amymone
Unf: ♂♂ and ♀♀ well marked submarginal line (Fig. 2a)
Unf : ♂♂ and ♀♀ black linear markings in the basal area (Fig. 2c)
Upf: ♂♂ sex-brand in the cell (Fig. 2e)
Uph: ♂♂ single ocellus in orange submarginal band (Fig. 2g)
2. Identification keys between Pseudochazara amymone and Pseudochazara tisiphone (Cuvelier S. & Mølgaard M. 2015)
a, c, e, g: Pseudochazara amymone.
b, d, f, h: Pseudochazara tisiphone.
For a quick comparison (the figures for P. amymone are based on older specimens)
Life cycle
Adults: single generation from end-June to August.
Egg: probably short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering.
Pupa: probably short stage.
Habitat
Pseudochazara tisiphone inhabits stony plateaus and rocky slopes, on ophiolite substrate, with parts of loose gravel and scattered grasses from 1000 up to 1700 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement moderate, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Festuca ovina.
Butterflies feed on available flowers.
Distribution
Albania: local in SE Albania and an isolated population near Bulqizë (more research needed)
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor* (to be verified). Further east: sibling species, Pseudochazara mniszechii.
Conservation status
Pseudochazara tisiphone is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: VU.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC (as P. mniszechii)
Useful links
euroButterflies
Lepiforum
(url) Takats K. & Mølgaard M. 2016. Partial mtCOI-sequences of Balkanic species of Pseudochazara (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) reveal three well-differentiated lineages. — Entomologica romanica 19: 21-40.
(url) Verovnik R. & Wiemers M. 2016. Species delimitation in the Grayling genus Pseudochazara (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) supported by DNA barcodes. — ZooKeys 600: 131–154.
(url) Cuvelier S., Parmentier L., Paparisto A. & Couckuyt J. 2018. Butterflies of Albania - Fluturat e Shqipërisë. New surveys, new species and a new checklist (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) — Phegea 46(2): 48–69.
(url) Cuvelier S., Parmentier L., Qirinxhki X. & Paparisto A. 2023. Butterflies of Albania new data and going online. Fluturatat e Shqipërisë të dhëna të reja dhe faqja online (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) — Buletini i Shkencave te Natyres, Tirana university. 32(2022): 5-31.
(url) Cuvelier S. 2023. Albania, a country with unexpected, intraspecific genetic variability in butterflies (Papilionoidea: Nymphalidae & Lycaenidae). Balancing on a tightrope between species, subspecies, ESU's and haplotypes. — Lépidoptères 32(82): 32-40.
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