Ábrahám Levente (szerk.): Válogatott tanulmányok XVIII. - Natura Somogyiensis 34. / Miscellanea 18. (Kaposvár, 2020)

Schmidt P. et al.: A faunistic contribution to the butterfly fauna of Oman (Lepidoptera: Diurna)

Schmidt et al.: A contribution to the butterfly fauna of Oman

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Distribution: The Plain Tiger or African Monarch butterfly has an enormous distribution range, that covers the Canary Islands, most of the coastal area of the Mediterranean Sea (excluding the Adriatic coastline), most of Africa, certain parts of Arabia, the Middle East, the subtropical and tropical parts of Asia and also Australia.

Remarks: It is a good flier and migrant species, but in Arabia this phenomenon is insignificant. Rather common in Oman, especially around oases. The larval host plants are various Asclepiadaceae, mostly Calotropis procera in Oman (Larsen & Larsen 1980). The form dorippus is sometimes considered a different species (Smith et al, 2005). It occurs in Oman as well, 16 of the 38 specimens are the representative of this form.

Hypolimnas misippus (Linnaeus, 1764)

Material examined'. 1 ex. OMAN, Gov. Dhofar, W of Al Mughsayl, N16°51.824', E53°43.217' 76 m, rocky gorge across the main road, 13.10.2009 leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 1 ex. OMAN, Gov. Dhofar / 2 km E of Rakhyuth / N16°44.968' E53°26.256' / 22 m, seashore / 31.10.2018 / leg. L. Ábrahám, S. Ilniczky.

Distribution: It is a widespread species, that is distributed in huge territories of tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Central-America (Larsen 2005, Williams 2019).

Remarks: Although a widespread species, it is not a common butterfly in Oman. The males are unmistakable but the appearance of the females is completely different. As one of the well-known examples of female-limited Batesian mimetic polymorphism, where the different forms of non-toxic female H. misippus closely resemble the various forms of the poisonous Danaus chrysippus (eg. Smith 1973, Gordon 1987, Kunte 2009).

Satyrinae Boisduval, 1833 Hipparchia parisatis (Kollar, 1849) (Figs. 17-18)

Material examined: 1 ex. OMAN, Jabal al Akhdar, Balad Seet, N23°l 1.794' E57°23.476' 914 m, rocky gorge below the village, spring, oasis, 04.17.2009 leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 1 ex. / OMAN, Reg. Al Dakhiliyah / Jabal Shams /N23°15.339' E57° 13.092' / 2138 m rocky and bushy vegetation / 05.06.2019 / leg. L. Ábrahám, S. Ilniczky, G. Költési; 1 ex. / OMAN, Reg. Al Batinah South / Balad Seet / N23°l 1.794' ES7°23.426' / 914 m oasis, spring / 06.05.2019 / leg. L. Ábrahám, S. Ilniczky, G. Költési.

Distribution: It is distributed from Eastern Turkey, through most of the Middle East to Northwestern India and Western China. H. parisatis has an isolated population in the mountainous areas of Northern Oman.

Remarks: Although it has a limited range in Arabia, the species is relatively common on the peninsula. In contrary to most of Omani butterflies, it is single-brooded with the imagos flying in May and June, then, after aestivation, they re-appear also in the autumn (Larsen & Larsen 1980). The larval host plants could be different Poaceae.

Ypthima asterope (Klug, 1832)

Material examined: 1 ex. OMAN, Jabal al Akhdar, 2 km W of Al Ulya, N23°l 1.287' E57°35.536', rocky wadi, 04.16.2008 leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 2 exx. /Oman, Gov. Dhofar / N of Mirbat, N17°01.518' E54°47.723' 59 m 15-24.04.2008 leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 1 ex. / OMAN, Gov. Dhofar, Jabal al Quamar / below Mugurah, 42 m, seashore / N16°45.550' E53°30.811' /07.09.2010 / leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 1 ex. OMAN, Gov. Dhofar / Jabal al Qara W of Al Mughsayl / N16°50.535' E53°43.349' 50 m, grassy foothill, 30.10.2018 leg. L. Ábrahám, S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi, 10 exx. / OMAN, Gov. Dhofar / Wadi Shaboun / N17°32.83’ E54°38.78' / dry forest 02.05.2019 / leg. L. Ábrahám, S. Ilniczky, G. Költési; 1 ex. / OMAN, Reg. Al Batinah South / Balad Seet /N23° 11.794' E57°23.426’ / 914 m oasis, spring / 06.05.2019 / leg. L. Ábrahám, S. Ilniczky, G. Körtési.