''Hipparchia statilinus'', the tree grayling, is a

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

of the family

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a red ...

Subspecies

Subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

include: *''Hipparchia statilinus statilinus'' (Hufnagel, 1766) *''Hipparchia statilinus sylvicola'' (Austaut, 1880) (

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

and

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

)

Distribution

The species can be found in

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...

Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern regions of Europe, region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countrie ...

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

and the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

."''Hipparchia'' Fabricius, 1807"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''

Habitat

This butterfly can be found in dry, rocky, grassy and bushy areas at an elevation of above sea level.

Description

''Hipparchia statilinus'' has a

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

of .Simon Coombe
Captain's European Butterfly Guide
These butterflies are rather variable, especially in the shades of brown present on the wings and in the intensity of the white bands. Usually the basic color of the upperside of the wings is dull brown in the male, lighter or ocher in the female, with a fringe on the edges. Two blind or very discreetly pupillated black eyespots are present on the forewings, while the hindwings show a very small eyespot. The underside is marbled with ocher and dusty white bands. On the underside of each forewing there are two black eyespots ringed in yellow, the upper one with a white central spot. Between the two black eyespots there are two white spots. On the underside of the hindwings there may be a black spot near the posterior and anal margin. The caterpillars are greenish-beige with green-brownish longitudinal stripes.

Biology

''Hipparchia statilinus'' is a

univoltine Voltinism is a term used in biology to indicate the number of broods or generations of an organism in a year. The term is most often applied to insects, and is particularly in use in sericulture, where silkworm varieties vary in their voltinism. ...

species. The larvae feed on various common grasses of the family

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

(''

Brachypodium phoenicoides ''Brachypodium'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, widespread across much of Africa, Eurasia, and Latin America. The genus is classified in its own tribe Brachypodieae. Flimsy upright stems form tussocks. Flowers appear in compact spik ...

'', ''

Brachypodium retusum ''Brachypodium retusum'', the Mediterranean false brome, is a species of perennial grass in the family Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses ...

'', ''

Bromus erectus ''Bromus erectus'', commonly known as erect brome, upright brome or meadow brome, is a dense, course, tufted perennial grass. It can grow to . Like many brome grasses the plant is hairy. The specific epithet ''erectus'' is Latin, meaning "erect ...

'', ''

Bromus sterilis ''Bromus sterilis'' is an annual or biennial species of bromegrass known as barren brome, poverty brome, and sterile brome. Description This is an annual or biennial grass ranging from about 20 to 90 centimeters in maximum height. Leaf blades ...

'', ''

Corynephorus canescens ''Corynephorus canescens,'' common name grey hair-grass or gray clubawn grass, is a species of plants in the grass family, native to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa but widely naturalized in North America. In the United Kingdom it is r ...

'', ''

Dactylis glomerata ''Dactylis Glomerata'' is the sixth studio album by Swedish doom metal band Candlemass, released in 1998. This was their first album released since their split in 1994. The album was originally destined to be the second release by Candlemass ...

'', ''

Festuca ovina ''Festuca ovina'', sheep's fescue or sheep fescue, is a species of grass. It is sometimes confused with hard fescue (''Festuca trachyphylla''). General description It is a perennial plant sometimes found in acidic ground, and in mountain pastur ...

'', ''

Koeleria vallesiana ''Koeleria vallesiana'', the Somerset hair grass, is a grass species of the genus ''Koeleria''. It grows in Europe, temperate Asia, and North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within ...

'', ''

Lolium rigidum ''Lolium rigidum'' is a species of annual grass. Common names by which it is known include annual ryegrass, a name also given to Italian ryegrass (''Lolium multiflorum''), rigid ryegrass, stiff darnel, Swiss ryegrass and Wimmera ryegrass. It is ...

'', ''

Nardus stricta ''Nardus'' is a genus of plants belonging to the grass family, containing the single species ''Nardus stricta'', known as matgrass. It is placed in its own tribe Nardeae within the subfamily Pooideae. The name derives from ancient Greek ' () from ...

'', ''

Poa annua ''Poa annua'', or annual meadow grass (known in America more commonly as annual bluegrass or simply poa), is a widespread low-growing turfgrass in temperate climates. Notwithstanding the reference to annual plant in its name, perennial bio-types ...

'', ''

Stipa gigantea ''Celtica gigantea'', commonly called giant feather grass, giant needle grass, or golden oats, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. It is still widely referenced in the horticul ...

'', '' Stipa parviflora'', ''

Stipa pennata ''Stipa pennata'', common name ''European feather grass'', is a flowering plant and arid zone sand grass in the grass family Poaceae, which is grown as an ornamental plant for its feathery flowering spikes. It is one of the most common plants of ...

'', '' Oryzopsis canadensis'', ''

Deschampsia cespitosa ''Deschampsia cespitosa'', commonly known as tufted hairgrass or tussock grass, is a perennial tufted plant in the grass family Poaceae. Distribution of this species is widespread including the eastern and western coasts of North America, parts o ...

'', '' Anisantha sterilis'') and of family

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' w ...

(''

Carex ''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...

'' species).Encyclopedia of life
/ref> Adults fly from June to October, and can be found resting on rocky ground with closed wings, warming up.

Gallery

Hipparchia statilinus MHNT CUT 2013 3 31 Fontanes female dorsal.jpg, Female Hipparchia statilinus MHNT CUT 2013 3 31 Fontanes female ventral.jpg, Female underside Hipparchia statilinus MHNT CUT 2013 3 31 Concots male dorsal.jpg, Male Hipparchia statilinus MHNT CUT 2013 3 31 Concots male ventral.jpg, Male underside

References

External links

* * Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfil

* Matt Rowlings ttp://www.eurobutterflies.com/sp/statilinus.php Euro Butterflies {{Taxonbar, from=Q652796 Hipparchia (butterfly) Butterflies described in 1766 Butterflies of Europe Butterflies of Africa Butterflies of Asia Taxa named by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel