Carcharodus orientalis Reverdin, 1913

(Oriental Marbled Skipper)

Original description

„Carcharodus orientalis, species nova“ Reverdin, J.-L., 1913 (Notes sur les genres Hesperia et Carcharodus. - Bull. Soc. lépid. Genève, 2 (4): 232; Pl. 21, Fig. 14, Pl. 22, Fig. 1, 8). Locus typicus: Peloponnesos.

Diagnosis

Very similar to C. floccifera. Colour of upper side grey-brown (usually brighter than C. floccifera), hind wings generally with less prominent bright spots. Male with hair tuft on forewing underside. Underside of hindwings brighter than floccifera. This species is obviously quite variable. Genitalia: The tip of the valva is narrower compared to C. floccifera.

Genitalia

(Female genitalia to follow)

Subspecies

Several subspecies have been described.

Distribution

From the Balkans through Turkey to Jordania an Israel. Kaukasus. Iran.

Flight time

On to three generations depending on altitude. The half grown caterpillar hibernates.

Ecology and habitats

Different types of habitats: Dry and warm areas in the lowlands to alpine grassland above the tree line.

Hostplants

Relatively broad spectrum of foodplants: Lamiaceae from the genera Betonica, Stachys and Marrubium (e.g. M. peregrinum, compare also Lafranchis 2003), and Acinos arvensis..

Important Literature and internet links

Lepiforum (German)

Eurobutterflies (Matt Rowlings)

Carcharodus on www.nic.funet.fi

Homepage of Wolfgang Wagner

Euroleps.ch (Heiner Ziegler)

Tree of life

Lepidoptera of Ukraine (Vladimir V. Savchuk) (Ukrainian)

Butterflies of Turkey

Butterflies of Dagestan (V. Tikhonov)

Lepidoptera of Crimea

Albrecht, M. (2012): Stachys cretica, a new host plant for Carcharodus orientalis (Reverdin, 1913) on the island of Samos (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)
(First contribution to the knowledge of the genus Carcharodus).

Nachrichten des entomologischen Vereins Apollo N.F. 32 (3/4): 173–175. Frankfurt a. M. 5 figures.

Budashkin Y. I. & Savchuk V. V.  (2010): Additions to fauna and bionomy of the Crimean Lepidoptera. - Optimization and Protection of Ecosystems, 3: 50-68. Simferopol: TNU.

Lafranchis, T. (2003): Biologie, écologie et répartition de Carcharodus orientalis (Reverdin, 1913) en Grèce. Comparaison avec Carcharodus flocciferus (Zeller, 1847) (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae). – Linneana belgica, 19 (3): 140 – 146.