Melanargia--galathea_11

Description:

Melanargia galathea L., syn.: Melanargia turcica Bois., Melanargia procida HerbstMarbled White, DE: SchachbrettSlo.: travniki lisarOrder: Lepidoptera; Family: Nymphalidae Dat.: July 20. 2017Lat.: 46.36042 Long.: 13.70244Code: Bot_1075/2017_DSC02554Picture file names: from Melanargia-galathea_raw_10 to Melanargia-galathea_raw_17.Habitat: mountain pasture; slightly inclined terrain, southeast aspect; colluvial, calcareous ground; full sun, dry place; elevation 605 m (2.000 feet); average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil.Place: Lower Trenta valley, right bank of river Soa; between villages Soa and Trenta; near Trenta 2b cottage, East Julian Alps, Posoje, Slovenia EC.Comment: Melanargia galathea is beautiful, quite large (4 - 5 cm across) and very common butterfly in Trenta Valley. In good years hundreds of them can appear in July. Eggs are laid on grass stems. The larvae feed on various grasses. They immediately enter hibernation, survive the winter and only feed the following spring on fresh grasses. Caterpillars are green with a darker green line along the body. The black butterfly with red patches on wings is probably also quite common six-spot burnet Zygaena filipendulae (Figs. 13, 15 and 16).Ref.:(1) www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Melanargia_Galathea (access 6.8.2017)(2) www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Britain%20-%20Melanargia%20... (access 6.8.2017)(3) H. Garms, L. Borm, Fauna Europas, Georg Westermann Verlag 1977, (translated to Slovenian - Mladinska knjiga, 1981), p 400.