Nymphalis egea (Cramer, 1775)


Nymphalis egea: Adult (Greece, Euboea, Dirphys, mid-May 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: Adult (Greece, Euboea, Dirphys, mid-May 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: Adult (Greece, Euboea, Dirphys, mid-May 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: Adult (Greece, Euboea, Dirphys, mid-May 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: Upper side (e.l. Litochoro, Greece, larva in May 2008) [S] Nymphalis egea: Lower side [S] Nymphalis egea: Lower side [S] Nymphalis egea: Egg (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [M] Nymphalis egea: Egg (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [M] Nymphalis egea: Egg (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [M] Nymphalis egea: Egg (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [M] Nymphalis egea: Egg (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [M] Nymphalis egea: Egg after some days (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: Egg prior to hatching (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: Egg prior to hatching (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: Egg prior to hatching (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: Egg with hatching larva (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L1 larva after hatching (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L1 larva after hatching (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L1 larva after hatching (Greece, Sparta, mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L1-larva (Greece, Sparta, egg found in mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L1-larva (Greece, Sparta, egg found in mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L1-larva (Greece, Sparta, egg found in mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L1-larva (Northern Greece, Olympian Riviera south of Olympus, early August 2012) [M] Nymphalis egea: L2-larva (Greece, Platamonas, early April 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: L2-larva (e.l. south of Mount Olympus, early August 2012) [S] Nymphalis egea: L2-larva in the end of this instar (Greece, Platamonas, early April 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L2-larva in the end of this instar (Greece, Sparta, egg found in mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L2-larva in the end of this instar (Greece, Sparta, egg found in mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L3-larva (e.l. rearing, Greece, Platamonas, found in early April 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L3-larva in the end of this instar (e.o. rearing, Greece, Sparta, egg found in mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L3-larva in the end of this instar (e.o. rearing, Greece, Sparta, egg found in mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L4-larva (e.o. rearing, Greece, Sparta, egg found in mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L4-larva (e.o. rearing, Greece, Sparta, egg found in mid-May 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L4-larva (e.l. rearing, Greece, Platamonas, found in early April 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: L4-larva (e.l. rearing, Greece, Platamonas, found in early April 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: Larva in penultimate instar (Litochoro, Greece, May 2008) [N] Nymphalis egea: L5-larva (Greece, Platamonas, early April 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: L5-larva (Greece, Platamonas, early April 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: L5-larva (Greece, Platamonas, early April 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: L5-larva (Greece, Platamonas, early April 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: Larva in last instar (Litochoro, May 2008) [N] Nymphalis egea: Larva in last instar [N] Nymphalis egea: Larva (Greece, Kalymnos, 20. May 2016) [M] Nymphalis egea: Larva (Greece, Kalymnos, 20. May 2016) [M] Nymphalis egea: Prepupa (Litochoro, Greece, May 2008) [N] Nymphalis egea: Pupa (Litochoro, Greece, May 2008) [N] Nymphalis egea: Pupa prior to emergence (e.l. Greece 2008) [S] Nymphalis egea: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Greece, Platamonas, found in early April 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Greece, Platamonas, found in early April 2022) [S] Nymphalis egea: Larval habitat at foot of mount Olympus (Litochoro, May 2008): Parietaria on a wall [N] Nymphalis egea: Habitat: wall with Parietaria (Litochoro, Greece, May 2008) [N] Nymphalis egea: Habitat (Greece, Platamonas, early April 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: Habitat (Greece, Platamonas, early April 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: Habitat (Greece, Platamonas, early April 2022) [N] Nymphalis egea: Larval habitat with Parietaria at a castle wall south of Olympus in early August 2012. [N] Nymphalis egea: Larval habitat with Parietaria at a castle wall south of Olympus in early August 2012. [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on Parietaria species, especially Parietaria officinalis and also P. judaica.

Habitat:
Nymphalis egea inhabits stony areas, bush and tree-lined rocky slopes, gorges and rock walls. Nymphalis egea is often found in urban areas, if still traditional, joint-rich walls with Parietaria exist.

Life cycle:
Nymphalis egea often has two generations, sometimes also a partial third. Hibernation takes place as an adult. I met caterpillars that derived from these at the foothills of Mount Olympus (Lithochoro) at partially shaded walls in the first week of May 2008. Here pupation took place, too. The resulting butterflies are already expected in mid or late May. In spring 2022 I recorded larvae up to the last instar already in early April. The following caterpillar generation is then observed from late May/June to July/early August, however, later probably only such of the partial third generation. A L1-larva from early August 2012 (south of Olympus at a castle wall) should belong here.

Endangerment factors:
Nymphalis egea is clearly in decline especially due to the increasing modernization of old villages with elimination of traditional structures.

Remarks:
The distribution ranges from southern Europe through Asia Minor to northern India. In Europe, Nymphalis egea is rarely found in the French Provence, in Italy and Croatia, and more commonly in the southeast (especially Greece and Bulgaria).



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