Melitaea aetherie (Hübner, [1826])


Melitaea aetherie: Male (e.l. rearing, S-Spain, Cadiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Male (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Male (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Male (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Male (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Male (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Male (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Male (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Female (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Female (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Female (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Female (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Female (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Female (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Female (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Half-grown larva (SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, early March 2019) [N] Melitaea aetherie: Half-grown larva (SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, early March 2019) [M] Melitaea aetherie: Half-grown larva (SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Half-grown larva (SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Half-grown larva (SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Half-grown larva (SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Half-grown larva (SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, late March 2019) [N] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, late March 2019) [N] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Larva (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Pupa (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Pupa (e.l. rearing, SW-Spain, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, larva in early March 2019) [S] Melitaea aetherie: Habitat (Andalusia, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, early March 2019) [N] Melitaea aetherie: Habitat (Andalusia, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, early March 2019) [N] Melitaea aetherie: Habitat with larva (Andalusia, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, late March 2019) [N] Melitaea aetherie: Larval habitat (Andalusia, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, late March 2019) [N] Melitaea aetherie: Larval habitat (Andalusia, Cadiz, Puerto de Galiz, late March 2019) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on some Asteraceae, especially Centaurea and Cynara.

Habitat:
Melitaea aetherie inhabits pastures (e.g. extensively managed cattle pastures in SW-Spain), fallow land, nutrient-poor grasslands, mountain slopes and garigues.

Life cycle:
The larvae hibernate and are mature between late March and late April. The butterflies occur between April and June (according to altitude).

Remarks:
Melitaea aetherie occurs in N-Africa and the SW-Iberian Peninsula (S-Portugal, SW-Spain, to the East mainly to Malaga and only very sporadically further East). Melitaea aetherie is also found in Sicily and very locally in S-Italy.



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