| Brintesia | |
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| Brintesia circe Rakov Škocjan, Slovenia | |
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| Genus: | Brintesia Fruhstorfer, 1911 |
| Species: | B. circe |
| Binomial name | |
| Brintesia circe (Fabricius, 1775) | |
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Brintesia is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae and subfamily Satyrinae. Its one species is Brintesia circe, the great banded grayling.
Brintesia circe reaches on average wingspan of 65–80 millimetres (2.6–3.1 in). Its wings are mainly black or dark brown. They have a broad white band at the edge of the basal area of all wings and usually a second white streak on the lower wings. The black eyespots on the underside of the upper wings have a white contour. Brintesia circe is quite similar to Hipparchia fagi , but in the latter the second white streak on the lower wings is always missing and the eyespots have a yellow contour. These butterflies usually rest on the branches of a tree, protected by their cryptic markings, but ready to take off and fly away when disturbed.
S. Circe F. (= proserpina W. V) (41 e). Above deep black, with distinct apical ocellus, the spots forming the band ovate and contiguous. Underside marmorated with grey, often variegated with yellowish or brownish. The whole of South Europe, northward to Central Germany (Kassel), and from Portugal eastwards to the Libanon and Mesopotamia. — As asiatica form. nov. (41 e) we designate the form of the higher parts of the Taurus, in which the connection between the spots of the forewing is very narrow and the rather narrow band of the hindwing is externally saw-like, bearing pointed teeth. — Also a melanotic form with the band obsolescent is known: ab. silenus Stgr. — Larva yellowish brown, with a light-bordered dark dorsal line, the dirty yellow head being variegated with dark; on the paler sides there are alternately lighter, darker and reddish longitudinal lines; it lives till June on grasses (Lolium, Anthoxanthum odoratum, etc.) and turns into a chrysalis which lies free on the ground and is thick in the centre and narrowed to a point at both ends, being of a purple brown colour and showing on the wing-cases a chain of yellowish windows about in the place of the white band of the forewing. The butterflies are on the wing from July till September, flying with preference on grassy inclines where single oak-trees grow, and settle on bare places on the ground, mole-hills and on tree-trunks, always with the head upwards and the wings tightly closed and placed one over the other, the underside being adapted to the bark of trees. They rarely visit flowers, and then usually thistles, but one more often finds them on damp places on the roads. The flight of the males is slow, searching, but tumbling and rather fast when disturbed. In South Europe the species appears to occur everywhere very commonly, and it is still very abundant also in southern Germany (Darmstadt), being but rare in the north, extending to Waldeck and the Harz Mts.; more abundant and stronger in the west, near Toulouse for instance in giant specimens. At the south coast of Europe the species occurs in countless numbers; I counted once near Genoa more than 30 specimens on one tree. [1]
These butterflies fly in one generation from June to September feeding on nectar of flowers. Larvae feed on various herbaceous plants (mainly on Anthoxanthum , Bromus , Festuca and Sesleria species). The young larvae overwinter.
The species can be found in central and southern Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, southern Germany and Poland), in Anatolia and the Caucasus up to Iran.
These butterflies prefer light woodland, grasslands bordering forest edges and generally dry and bushy environments, at an altitude of 0–1,600 metres (0–5,249 ft) above sea level.
The meadow brown is a butterfly found in the Palearctic realm. Its range includes Europe south of 62°N, Russia eastwards to the Urals, Asia Minor, Iraq, Iran, North Africa and the Canary Islands. The larvae feed on grasses.
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.
Melanargia galathea, the marbled white, is a medium-sized butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Despite its common name and appearance, this butterfly is one of the "browns", of the subfamily Satyrinae.
Aporia crataegi, the black-veined white, is a large butterfly of the family Pieridae. A. crataegi is widespread and common. Its range extends from northwest Africa in the west to Transcaucasia and across the Palearctic to Siberia and Japan in the east. In the south, it is found in Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and Syria. It is not usually present in the British Isles or northern Scandinavia.
Melitaea diamina, the false heath fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Erebia medusa, the woodland ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
Coenonympha hero, the scarce heath, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae.
Coenonympha glycerion, the chestnut heath, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It can be found in Eastern Europe and east across the Palearctic to Siberia and the Caucasus to North Korea.
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.
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.
Melitaea didyma, the spotted fritillary or red-band fritillary, is a Palearctic butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Melitaea phoebe, the knapweed fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Palearctic realm, except the northernmost locations. It used to include Melitaea telona, recently revalidated as a distinct cryptic species.
Lycaena helle, the violet copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from the Pyrenees to northern Norway and from Belgium east across the Palearctic to Central Asia, Siberia and Amur.The wingspan is 24–26 mm. The butterfly flies from May to July depending on the location.
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.
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.
Muschampia proto, the sage skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Morocco, Algeria, the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.
Erebia melampus, the lesser mountain ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
Chazara persephone, the dark rockbrown, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It can be found from Crimea across the Caucasus and north of the Middle East to Iran; from the southern Urals across Kazakhstan to the southern Altai and west Siberia.
Pseudochazara geyeri, the Grey Asian grayling is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is confined to Albania, Greece, North Macedonia, eastern Turkey and south-western Transcaucasia.
Pseudochazara hippolyte is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is confined from the southern Urals across Kazakhstan and northern Tian-Shan to Transbaikalia, Mongolia and northern Tibet.
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