Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 05.viii.2023

Hyponephele lycaon / Dusky Meadow Brown
Ulkonjëza e mbrëmjes e livadheve (Likaonja)
Nymphalidae - Satyrinae

Hyponephele lycaon (Kühn, 1774). TL: Berlin, Germany.

1a. Hyponephele lycaon, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Hyponephele lycaon copula. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Habitat of Hyponephele lycaon. Voskopojë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Hyponephele lycaon copula. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Hyponephele lycaon ♂ underside. Lekas, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 20-24 mm.
Ups: grey-brown gc.
Upf: narrow sex-brand cut by paler gc on v2 and v3, slightly fulvous flush in postdiscal area.
Uph: unmarked.
Unf: light orange-brown gc, grey marginal border, conspicuous apical white-pupiled ocellus.
Unh: grey-brown gc, darker to pale grey irroration, vaguely indicated darker discal band.
♀♀
Slightly larger.
Hw: slightly scalloped.
Upf: yellowish orange discal area,variable dusky basal area.
Uph: grey-brown gc, pale discal band bordered by a more or less conspicuous darker line towards the basal area.

Similar species

Hyponephele lupinus Size:larger. Upf: ♂♂ large dark sex-brand. UPf: sex-brand not disrupted by veins. Upf: ♂♂ blind apical ocellus. Upf: ♀♀ two blind subapical ocelli, orange-yellow areas limited around the ocelli. Unf: ♂♂ one white-pupilled ocellus. Unf: ♀♀ two ocelli, at least one white-pupiled. Unh: postdiscal area no clear external margin. Unh: greyish-brown gc. Hw: outer margin scalloped. Maniola jurtina Size: similar. Upf: single white-pupilled ocellus. Upf: ♀♀ large (variable) orange area. Unf: single white-pupilled ocellus. Unh: well marked pd band (sometimes ocelli) Unh: brown gc. Hw: outer margin scalloped.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from June to September.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering as young larva.
Pupa: short stage.

Habitat
Hyponephele lycaon inhabits hot rocky places with scattered bushes from 200 up to 1800 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density can be high.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Brachypodium pinnatum, Bromopsis erectus, Festuca ovina, F. rubra, Poa sp. and Stipa pennata.
Butterflies feed on a 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 further east.

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

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

Contact