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Delattin's
Grayling
Hipparchia volgensis
Distribution: Across the southern Balkans.
Identification: In this range the only butterfly it resembles is the
Southern Grayling (Hipparchia aristaeus senthes). There is considerable
variation in both species and it may be impossible to tell apart without
studying statistically significant numbers of individuals. The range of the
Grayling (H. semele) only reaches the northern Balkans, much further
north. Examination of the genetalia is required with the current lack of a
definitive external ID. I examined the male butterflies shown above were close
to the drawings of genetalia shown in Lafranchis's "Butterflies of Europe"
(2004). It is not an easy study though. The female shown was found at the same
site and resembles very closely the underside painting shown in Tolman
"Butterflies of Britain and Europe" (1997).
Flight time: From June and through the summer.
Habitat: Hot dry grassy places amongst scrub and trees. Larvae feed on
grasses.
Behaviour: The butterflies I identified above were behaving just as
other Hipparchia in the area. They very frequently rested in scrub and
trees. They were very alert to approaching lepidopterists, a mere snap of a twig
under foot would send them flying.
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