Argynnis pandora

Last updated

Cardinal
Argynnis.pandora.jpg
Cardinal (Argynnis pandora) female underside Dobruja.jpg
Female underside
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Argynnis
Species:
A. pandora
Binomial name
Argynnis pandora
Synonyms
  • Pandoriana pandora
Male underside Cardinal (Argynnis pandora) male underside Dobruja.jpg
Male underside

Argynnis pandora, the cardinal, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is common throughout southern Europe and is also found in northern Africa and the Middle east and then east across the Palearctic to the Tian-Shan andnorthwestern India.

Contents

Description in Seitz

The wingspan is 64–80 mm. A. pandora Schiff. (= cinara F., maja Cr.) (71c). The largest European Argynnis. Above stronglyre calling valesina , but brighter greenish, densely spotted with black. Beneath quite different, the apex of the forewing and the hindwing bright green, the disc of the forewing fleshy red and spotted with deep black, the hindwing with a few narrow bands, which are more white than silvery and vary strongly in number and development.In ab. dacica Horinuz., a kind of valesina-form from Roumania, the basal area of both wings darkened, contrasting with the distal area, which is slightly paler than usual. — pasargades Fruhst.[now subspeciesA. p. pasargades], from the Alexander Mts., has the whole upperside pale, especially the forewing, which has hardly a trace of green, being also paler yellow beneath, with the black markings reduced. — seitzi Fruhst.[now subspecies A. p. seitzi Fruhstorfer, 1908] (71c) has been described fromspecimens found by me [Stichel] in the Aures Mts. in Algeria. Larger than European individuals, paler green beneath, darker greenish yellow above; the black markings more prominent and abundant, often confluent. — paupercula' Ragusa has no silvery white bands and spots; especially in the southern districts, where it is locally the prevalent form, for instance in Algeria. — Larva purplish brown, with black head, without the yellow dorsal stripe of paphia, otherwise similar to the latter, but the spines shorter; on the back of each segment a velvety black spot with 2 white dashes; until June on Viola. The species occurs particularly in the Mediterranean countries, being found in North Africa, the Canaries, Spain, South France northward to the Valais, where it approaches the German frontier, also in Italy, the south of Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Asia Minor, going eastward to the Tian-shan; plentiful in some places. The butterflies are on the wing from June onwards; their flight is fast and graceful, rushing or swimming, and they usually settle on those branches of trees which hang over the road, or on thistle-heads. [1]

Biology

The butterfly flies from April [2] to September [3] (in Europe typically May to August) depending on the location. In Switzerland, the species is found at altitudes of up to 2600 meters. Among other habitats, it favours deciduous and open pine forests, in which there is a large supply of nectar-rich plants from the genera Cirsium , Carduus or Centaurea .

The larvae feed on Viola species.

Etymology

Named in the Classical tradition, Pandora - "endowed with all gifts" - is a woman created by Hephaestus from clay. Despite the ban, she opened Pandora's box, from which disasters spread, from which humanity still suffers. Only Hope remained at the bottom of the vessel.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver-washed fritillary</span> Species of butterfly

The silver-washed fritillary is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palearctic realm – Algeria, Europe and across the Palearctic to Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niobe fritillary</span> Species of butterfly

The Niobe fritillary is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarce copper</span> Species of butterfly

The scarce copper is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.

<i>Argynnis hyperbius</i> Species of butterfly

The Indian fritillary is a species of butterfly of the nymphalid or brush-footed family. It is usually found from south and southeast Asia to Australia.

<i>Polyommatus eros</i> Species of butterfly

Polyommatus eros, the Eros blue or common meadow blue, is a species of blue butterfly found in the Palearctic.

<i>Colias palaeno</i> Species of butterfly

Colias palaeno, known by the common names moorland clouded yellow, palaeno sulphur, and pale Arctic clouded yellow, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black ringlet</span> Species of butterfly

The black ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is a high-altitude butterfly found in Albania, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania.

<i>Boloria dia</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria dia, the Weaver's fritillary or violet fritillary, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The name Weaver's fritillary is in honor of Richard Weaver, an English insect collector who claimed to have obtained the specimen within ten miles of Birmingham around 1820. However, B. dia is very rare in England and the few specimens known from there are thought to be from possibly accidental introductions.

<i>Boloria titania</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria titania, the Titania's fritillary or purple bog fritillary, is a butterfly of the subfamily Heliconiinae of the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Melitaea didyma</i> Species of butterfly

Melitaea didyma, the spotted fritillary or red-band fritillary, is a Palearctic butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Aricia nicias</i> Species of butterfly

Aricia nicias, the silvery argus, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Alps, Pyrenees and from Scandinavia ranging to Siberia and the north of Mongolia.

<i>Polyommatus damon</i> Species of butterfly

Polyommatus damon, the Damon blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.

<i>Argynnis laodice</i> Species of butterfly

Argynnis laodice, Pallas' fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It occurs in damp forested places in southern Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, northwestern Kazakhstan, and across the Palearctic to Siberia, Amur, Korea and Japan.

<i>Chazara briseis</i> Species of butterfly

Chazara briseis, the hermit, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It can be found in North Africa, southern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Central Asia through Afghanistan, and north-western China and Tuva. It is found on steppe and in other dry grassy places between 500 and 2,500 meters.

<i>Boloria pales</i> Species of butterfly

Boloria pales, the shepherd's fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees through the Alps and Apennine Mountains east to the Balkan, Carpathian Mountains, the Caucasus and central Asia up to western China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twin-spot fritillary</span> Species of butterfly

The twin-spot fritillary is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Arethusana</i> Genus of butterflies

Arethusana is a butterfly genus from the subfamily Satyrinae of the brush-footed butterfly family (Nymphalidae). It is composed of only one species, Arethusana arethusa, the false grayling.

<i>Colias cocandica</i> Species of butterfly

Colias cocandica is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in Central Asia.

<i>Issoria eugenia</i> Species of butterfly

Issoria eugenia is a small butterfly found in the East Palearctic that belongs to the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Polyommatus damone</i> Species of butterfly

Polyommatus damone is a Palearctic butterfly in the Lycaenidae family.

References

  1. Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren)
  2. "Argynnis pandora (Bahadır)". Kelebek Türk. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  3. Rowlings, Matt. http://www.eurobutterflies.com/species_pages/pandora.htm. Accessed 1 January 2013.