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Thymelicus lineola / Essex Skipper
Okërverdha shiritshkurtër
Hesperiidae - Hesperiinae
Thymelicus lineola (Ochsenheimer, 1808). TL: Germany
 
  
1a. Thymelicus lineola, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Thymelicus lineola ♂, black antennal tip. Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Thymelicus lineola caterpillar. Finland (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d.
Thymelicus lineola ♂ underside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Thymelicus lineola ♂ undersdide. Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 12-14 mm.
Ups: fulvous gc, narrow sex-brand not reaching v3 (fresh specimens)
Unf: quite similar gc with yellow-grey apex.
Unh: pale yellow-grey gc.
Tip of the antennae: black beneath.
♀♀
Slightly larger.
Ups and uns very similar except sex-brand.
Tip of the antennae: black beneath.
Similar species
Thymelicus acteon
Slightly smaller Thymelicus.
Ups:
gc dusky fulvous.
Upf:
Yellow streak in cell and a b
Bowded series of small yellow palid spots in s3-9.
Unf:
Paler streak in cell.
Bowded series of small yellow palid spots in s3-9.
Thymelicus sylvestris
Antennal tip:
Fulvous.
Upf: ♂ longer sexbrand (fresh specimens)
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Life cycle
Adults: single generation from May to August.
Egg: overwintering stage, in clusters of eggs inside a folded withered leaf (up to 40 weeks)
Caterpillar: after overwintering till pupation (9 weeks)
Pupa: 2-3 weeks.
Habitat
Thymelicus lineola inhabits flowery meadows and grassy banks, as well in open area as in clearings, glades and forest edges from lowland up to 2200 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Alopecurus pratensis, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Avena barbata, Brachypodium sp., Bromus erectus, Calamagrostis epigejos, Cynosurus sp., Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia cespitosa, D. flexuosa, Elymus repens, Eragrostis cilianensis, Holcus sp., Lolium rigidum, Melica ciliata, Phalaris sp., Phleum sp and Piptatherum miliaceum.
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers.
Distribution
Albania: 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, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and N.W. Kazakhstan.
Conservation status
T. lineola is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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