Scolitantides bavius (Eversmann, 1832)


Scolitantides bavius: Male (Northern Greece, Askion, May 2011) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Northern Greece, Askion, May 2011) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Northern Greece, Askion, May 2011) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Northern Greece, Askion, May 2011) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Adults at humid rocks (bottom side 2 S. bavius, above 2 P. thersites). Askio Mountains near Siatista, Greece,, May 2011. [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Northern Greece, Askion, May 2011) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Northern Greece, Askion, May 2011) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Adult (N-Greece, Siatista, May 2010) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Adult (N-Greece, Siatista) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Adult (N-Greece, Siatista) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Male (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Female (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Mating (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Mating (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Oviposition on young flower buds of Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Oviposition on young flower buds of Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Oviposition on young flower buds of Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Oviposition on young flower buds of Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Eggs (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Eggs (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Egg (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Eggs (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Eggs (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Egg (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Egg (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Egg (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Egg (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Egg (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Egg (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Egg on Salvia ringens (N-Greece, Siatista, early June 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Egg on Salvia ringens (N-Greece, Siatista, early June 2021) [M] Scolitantides bavius: Empty egg (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, mid-May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the first instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the first instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the first instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the second instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the second instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the end of the second instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the third instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the third instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the third instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the third instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the end of the third instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the penultimate instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the penultimate instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the penultimate instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Larva in the final instar (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Pupa (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Pupa (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Pupa (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Pupa (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Pupa (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Pupa (e.o. rearing, Romania, Cluij-Napoca, egg found in early May 2021) [S] Scolitantides bavius: Oviposition substrate Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Larval habitat: host plant Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Larval habitat: host plant Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Larval habitat with host plant Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Larval habitat with host plant Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Larval habitat with host plant Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Larval habitat with host plant Salvia nutans (Romania, Cluij-Napoca, early May 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Larval habitat with Salvia ringens (N-Greece, Siatista, early June 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Larval habitat with Salvia ringens (N-Greece, Siatista, early June 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Larval habitat with Salvia ringens (N-Greece, Siatista, early June 2021) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Habitat in Northern Greece (Siatista, May 2008) [N] Scolitantides bavius: Habitat in the Askio mountains, May 2011. [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars live on Salvia species. In W-Romania (Cluij-Napoca) the host plant is Salvia nutans and in Greece (Kozani) S. ringens.

Habitat:
Scolitantides bavius inhabits xerothermic, partly stony grassland slopes, which are grazed extensively.

Life cycle:
Scolitantides bavius has a single generation from late April to early June. I met a few butterflies in the first week of May 2008 in Northern Greece. In Mid-May 2011, the males were quite numerous in the Askio Mountains. They like to suck on moist trails and rocks from which some moisture oozes (minerals). In early June I recorded eggs on Salvia ringens there.
In Romania the flight time is similar most often between mid- or late April and May (peak often in early May or even late April). Oviposition takes place on young inflorescences (young flower buds). The larvae feed between mid-May and early July on the flowers and fruits. The pupa hibernates on/in the soil.

Endangerment factors:
Scolitantides bavius is threatened at its few European sites in places mainly by overgrazing and destruction of habitats e.g. due to road construction etc. Additionally, abandonment of extensive grazings can displace Scolitantides bavius in the long term. A new form of threat is the widespread construction of wind and solar parks, which are located preferentially in the less economically significant areas like grasslands. These must not be built in ecologically important areas!

Remarks:
The distribution extends from north Africa (very local) and Asia Minor to the Urals and the Caucasus. In Europe, there are few sites in the southeast (Romania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey).



Scolitantides barbagiae | Scolitantides baton | Scolitantides orion | Scolitantides vicrama