Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 15.iv.2024

Hipparchia syriaca / Eastern Rock Grayling
E mermerta siriane
Nymphalidae - Satyrinae

Hipparchia syriaca (Staudinger, 1871). TL: Beirut, Lebanon.

1a. Hipparchia syriaca, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Hipparchia syriaca ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Hipparchia syriaca ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Hipparchia syriaca ♀ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Hipparchia syriaca ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Large butterfly. Fw: 27-34 mm.
Fw: slightly pointed apex.
Ups: dark brownish-grey gc.
Upf: sex-brand, pale cream postdiscal band, variable fuscous suffusion enclosing variable ocelli in s5 and s2 (sometimes absent)
Uph: curved to nearly straight outer edge of dark basal area without angle on v3 and v4.
Unh: marbled brownish-grey gc, less pronounced postdiscal band often disappearing towards inner margin.
♀♀
Larger.
Upf: wider and paler postdiscal bands, often small ocellus in s2.

Similar species

Brintesia circe Upf: broad pure white pd band. Upf: dentate external side pd band. Uph: broad pure white pd band. Unf: pure white pd band. Unh: short white postbasal band. Unh: pure white pd band. Hipparchia fagi There are no reliable external characters. Upf: suffused, pale yellowish pd band. Upf: less pointed apex (variable) Upf: external side pd band not dentated. Uph: suffused, pale pd band. Unf: pale yellowish pd band. Unh: no short white postbasal band. Unh: more pronounced mottled white pd band (variable) ♂♂ genitalia bear clear differentiating character and is strongly recommended for identification. ♀♀ genitalia distinctive, needing full dissection (url)

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from June to September, aestivation period.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering.
Pupa: short stage.

Habitat
Hipparchia syriaca inhabits grasslands in sunny open rocky places with scattered shrubs or trees, often resting on rocks and tree trunks from lowland up to 1250 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement moderate, population density can be high.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Brachypodium sp. and Holcus sp.
Butterflies feed on higher flowers and are mud-puddling.

Distribution
Albania: probably local despite possible confusion with H. fagi (more genitalia confirmed data needed)
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 further east.

Conservation status
Hipparchia syriaca is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
(url) Coutsis J. 1983. Description of the female genitalia of Hipparchia fagi Scopoli, Hipparchia semele Linnaeus (Satyridae) and their related taxa. — The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 22(3): 161–203.

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