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Gegenes nostrodamus / Mediterranean Skipper
Mesdhetarja njollabardhë
Hesperiidae - Hesperiinae
Gegenes nostrodamus (Fabricius, 1793) TL: Barbaria.
 
  
1a. Gegenes nostrodamus, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Gegenes nostrodamus. Spain (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Gegenes nostrodamus. Spain (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Gegenes nostrodamus. Spain (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Gegenes nostrodamus. Spain (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 15-16 mm.
Ups: unmarked, pale brown gc.
Unh: pale sandy brown gc. Lorkovic' character (spread specimens)
Unf: dense dark brown scales hidden by a hair tuft at the coastal edge.
These hairs can also be absent because they were rubbed of by age or rough handling.
When this hairtuft is present, it is a strong sign for G. nostrodamus.
♀♀
Slightly larger than ♂♂.
Ups: series of pale discal spots.
Unh: pale sandy brown gc. Unf: dense dark brown scales hidden by a hair tuft at the coastal edge.
These hairs can also be absent because they were rubbed of by age or rough handling.
When this hairtuft is present, it is a strong sign for G. nostrodamus.
 
2. Gegenes nostrodamus ♂, Lorkovic' character: strong hair tuft at the coastal edge of the forewings underside. Greece (© M.J.Taylor; url)
 
3a. Gegenes nostrodamus ♂, genitalia lateral view, aedeagus removed. Greece (© M.J.Taylor, url)
3b. Gegenes nostrodamus ♂, aedeagus. Greece (© M.J.Taylor, url)
Similar species
Gegenes pumilio
Slightly smaller butterfly.
Not easily distinguished externally, particularly females.
Ups: very dark brown upperside (fresh ♂♂) indicative but insufficient for a certain identification.
Uns: Lorkovic' character (spread specimens): underside forewing with dense dark brown scales not hidden bij hair tuft at the coastal edge of hw. These hairs can also be absent in G. nostrodamus because they were rubbed of by age or rough handling.
The male and female genitalia bear clear differentiating characters. Details can be found in the useful links hereunder. This is the recommended way for identification of Gegenes butterflies.
Life cycle
Adults: two or more generations, from May to October. More common in late summer-autumn.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: develops slowly.
Pupa: short stage.
Habitat
Gegenes nostrodamus inhabits hot and dry, rocky and sandy, habitats. Mostly near sea or large rivers at low altitude, generally from lowland up to 500 m, rarely up to 1000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest despite the fact that it may well fly distances, population density low.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on different grasses: Aeluropus sp., Bothriochloa ischaemum, Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria sanguinalis, Panicum sp., Phragmites australis, Saccharum ravennae, Setaria sp. and Sorghum halepense.
Butterflies are rarely seen feeding.
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, Near East, coast of Caspian Sea, Arabia and further east.
Conservation status
Gegenes nostrodamus is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NT.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
leps.it
Euroleps
(url) Coutsis J. 2012. A comparison between the female genitalia of Gegenes pumilio and those of G. nostrodamus (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea) — Phegea 40(1): 39–40.
(url) Kolev Z. & Shtinkov N. 2016. The Pygmy Skipper Gegenes pumilio: a new species to Bulgaria, and a confirmation of its occurrence in the eastern Balkan Peninsula (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). – Phegea 44(1): 17-22.
(url) de Jong R. & Coutsis J. 2017. A re-appraisal of Gegenes Hübner, 1819 (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae) based on male and female genitalia, with the description of a new genus, Afrogegeness. — Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 160: 41-60.
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