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Brenthis hecate / Twin-spot Fritillary
Hekatja
Nymphalidae - Heliconiinae
Brenthis hecate ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775). TL: Vienna.
 
  
1a. Brenthis hecate, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Brenthis hecate ♂ underside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Habitat of Brenthis hecate. Hasi district, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Brenthis hecate ♂ upperside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Brenthis hecate ♀ upperside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 18-22 mm.
Ups: orange gc, regular and complete postdiscal and submarginal spots.
Unh: dark brown lined veins, double row of small dark postdiscal and submarginal spots, double marginal lines.
♀♀
Slightly larger.
Ups: often fuscous suffusion.
Similar species
Life cycle
Adults: single generation from the second half of May to the end of July.
Egg: long stage.
Caterpillar: larva overwintering in the chorion, developing in spring.
Pupa: short stage.
Habitat
Brenthis hecate inhabits open flowery grasslands with scattered shrubs of sparse forest from 500 up to 1300 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Filipendula ulmaria, also mentioned are F. vulgaris and Spiraea sp. (not occurring in the wild in Albania; cultivated Spiraea alba, Spiraea japonica and Spiraea salicifolia)
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers.
Distribution
Albania: local.
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
Brenthis hecate is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: VU.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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larger Brenthis.
discontinuous black marginal border.
brown s4 base.
marbled, lilac-brown pd area.
orange veins in pale yellow discal band.
pale pink submarginal area.