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Coenonympha leander

Russian Heath

Field Notes

Rila Mts, Bulgaria, July 2004

This appears to be a very local species in the Balkans. We've only found it in a few places from which I can only draw a few comparisons of habitat other than lush grassy places in hills, south facing so often hot. In mid July 2004 I found only 3 specimens at 3 widely different places and each one was looking worn, that from Greece (ssp. orientalis) especially so. I think they fly at their best in June.

The subspecies leander is found through most of the patchy range in the Balkans. Another subspecies orientalis flies in the Pindos Mountains of northern Greece. This latter has a broad white band inside the black spots on the underside hindwing. This may indeed be split into a new species as some authors seem to be already suggesting.

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