Lycaenidae : Polommatinae
Southern Brown Argus
ARICIA cramera (Eschscholtz, 1821)
Southern Brown Argus
ARICIA cramera (Eschscholtz, 1821)
Life Cycle Guide-Imago Only
Description
Alternative Name: Spanish Brown Argus
Wingspan: 25-31mm
Worldwide Distribution: Canary Islands,Gomera,Heirro,La Palma,Tenerife & Gran Canaria : Morocco : Algeria : Tunisia : Spain : Portugal : Sardinia : Balearic Islands
European Conservation Status -
Altitude: Sea level-2500m-N Africa
Habitat: Dry,hot sandy places.On the Ria de alvor Nature reserve these were found in very dry conditions where very few flowers grew late in September,clearly surviving on what was left of the vegetation.
Similar Species: None
Ovum: Ova deposited on upper side of leaves of larval food plant
Larva: Larva are polymorphic being attended by ants.
Observations: The Southern Brown Argus or Spanish Brown Argus as it is named, is similar to the nominate species although the submarginal cross band of orange spots are continuous,only being divided by veins.
The ground colour of the wings is virtually the same as the nominate species as tis the markings on the hindwing.
Considerations as this butterfly being a seperate species is possibly due to genitalia differences.
Wingspan: 25-31mm
Worldwide Distribution: Canary Islands,Gomera,Heirro,La Palma,Tenerife & Gran Canaria : Morocco : Algeria : Tunisia : Spain : Portugal : Sardinia : Balearic Islands
European Conservation Status -
- Least Concern
- Aricia cramera Eschscholtz, 1821
- Papilio agestis ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775)
- Canary Islands
Altitude: Sea level-2500m-N Africa
Habitat: Dry,hot sandy places.On the Ria de alvor Nature reserve these were found in very dry conditions where very few flowers grew late in September,clearly surviving on what was left of the vegetation.
Similar Species: None
Ovum: Ova deposited on upper side of leaves of larval food plant
Larva: Larva are polymorphic being attended by ants.
Observations: The Southern Brown Argus or Spanish Brown Argus as it is named, is similar to the nominate species although the submarginal cross band of orange spots are continuous,only being divided by veins.
The ground colour of the wings is virtually the same as the nominate species as tis the markings on the hindwing.
Considerations as this butterfly being a seperate species is possibly due to genitalia differences.
Photo Gallery
Larval food Plants Worldwide
Southern Brown Argus larvae feed on plant families described below plant photos.
Southern Brown Argus larvae feed on plant families described below plant photos.
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website
where further information like photos,physical
characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal
uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Cistaceae - Rock-rose Family
- Helianthemum nummularium - Common Rockrose
- Tubararia guttata - Spotted Rockrose
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - ARICIA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Papilionoidea Lycaenidae Polyommatinae Polyommatini ARICIA Reichenbach, 1817 Aricia cramera (Eschscholtz, 1821) - Papilio agestis ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775) - ARICIA cramera (Eschscholtz, 1821) = Lycaena cramera Eschscholtz, 1821 = Aricia agestis cramera Eschscholtz, 1821 = Aricia canariensis Blachier 1889 = Lycaena astrarche ab. sebdouica Staudinger, 1892 = Lycaena astrarche ab. ornata Oberthuur,1915 = Lycaena agestis ornata f. lilliputana Oberthür, 1915 = Aricia cramera pallidecanariensis Verity, 1928 = Aricia cramera pallidecramera Verity, 1928 = Aricia cramera pallidecanariensis Verity, 1928 = Aricia cramera pallidecramera - Eschscholtz, 1821 Kotzeb.Reise,3 : 217.t.10 : 26 a,b Lycaena - Canary Islands |