Euphydryas orientalis


Euphydryas orientalis is a small butterfly found in the Palearctic that belongs to the browns family.

Description

Difficult to distinguish from some aurinia forms. Tusov treats orientalis as a subspecies of Arinia.
Seitz: "orientalis H.-Schaff. is apparently a combination of the two previous , from the Caucasus and laeta Christ ( differs from the preceding in the denser scaling and more conspicuous colours, the upperside having a rather chequered appearance in consequence of the strongly developed and several times curved black discal bands; from the Vilui Mts. in Siberia] the upperside being as bright and variegated as in laeta, while the underside is as pale, dull and uniform in colour as in pellucida. Asia Minor and Armenia to Kurdistan."

Subspecies

  • Euphydryas orientalisorientalis; Turkey, Transcaucasia 65d on plate
  • Euphydryas orientalis sareptensis ; South Ural 65d on plate
  • Euphydryas orientalis emba ; Kazakhstan
  • Euphydryas orientalis pellucida ;
  • Euphydryas aurinia pellucida in some works; Caucasus

    Taxonomy

Euphydryas orientalis is in the subgenus Eurodryas. The clade members are:
Found in steppe meadows and in limestone ravines. Flies from June to July. The larva feeds on Scabiosa isetensis.

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