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Melitaea phoebe / Knapweed Fritillary
Flutura e livadheve
Nymphalidae - Nymphalinae
Melitaea phoebe ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775). TL: Austria.
 
  
1a. Melitaea phoebe, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Melitaea phoebe ♂ upperside. Zhulaz Gjirokaster, Albania (© Anila Paparisto)
1c. Melitaea phoebe ♂ upperside. Librazdh-Qarrishtë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Melitaea phoebe ♀ upperside. France (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Melitaea phoebe ♂ underside. Librazdh-Qarrishtë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 20-24 mm.
Ups: bright fulvous, solid black markings.
Upf: large marginal lunule in s3.
Uph: no black dots in submarginal band.
Uns: pale gc, reduced orange and black markings.
Unh: black marginal lunules thin forming a continuous wavy line.
♀♀
Larger.
Ups: similar markings.
Unh: black marginal lunules thin forming a continuous wavy line.
Similar species
Identification between Melitaea phoebe and M. ornata, based on external morphology, including distal end of antenna, is unreliable.
Identification based on genitalia (♂♂ and ♀♀) is difficult, subtle differences have been mentioned.
COI barcoding is distinctive. 
As from L4, the head of the larvae are distinctive: black head for M. phoebe, red head for M. ornata.
Melitaea ornata
Size: similar wingspan.
Unf:  marginal dots not touching the veins.
Unf:  triangular black marginal lunules.
Unh: continuous wavy line touching the veins.
Unh: triangular black marginal lunules.
Antenna: spatulate distal end.
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Life cycle
Adults: two or three generations at lower altitude, from April to September.
Egg: 20 days.
Caterpillar: overwintering as small larva in the litter layer.
Pupa: 15-30 days.
Habitat
Melitaea phoebe inhabits dry and warm rocky slopes with higher growing flowering plants with scattered bushes from lowland up to above 1900 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed mainly on Centaurea sp., also mentioned are Arctium lappa, Carduus sp., Carlina acaulis, Cirsium sp., Cynara cardunculus, Onopordum acanthium, Serratula tinctoria, Scabiosa columbaria, Plantago afra and P. lanceolata.
Butterflies feed on flowers, often of the own hostplant.
Distribution
Albania: widespread.
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
Melitaea phoebe is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: LC.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
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