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Lattice Brown
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Macedonia,
Greece, July 2004
Female |
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Samos, Greece,
June 2002 |
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Macedonia,
Greece, July 2000
Another female
in very similar circumstances. Usually this species hides
very deep inside bushes where photographs are impossible. |
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This is a wonderful species. It
is large and exotic amongst the European fauna. It is confined to south
eastern Europe, principally in Greece, Bulgaria and FYROM (Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) plus the Greek
Islands. It lives amongst young and/or stunted trees and vineyards where
it flits about in the shade settling on the trunks. Here it blends in
very well in the dappled sunlight.
The males have an unusual
balance. The forewings appear to be somewhat too small for the hindwing.
They upperside has very bold and conspicuous scent brands although these
can only be seen on captured specimens as they do not open their wings
when at rest. The underside is a uniform grey-brown and has conspicuous
eye spots. The female upperside has a veins lined black and, additional
to the male, white patches near the sub-apical area. The underside is
brighter carrying the upperside markings to the forewing, the hindwing
being marbled with white scales throughout.
I've found it from the
end of May through to the end of July on the Greek mainland and also on
Samos. |
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