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: Y. asterope occurs mainly in Africa, the Middle East, and Arabia. In the Mediterranean, it is also found along the southern Turkish coast, in some islands of the East Egean (northwards to Samos Island) and in Cyprus (Tshikolovets 2011). It can be found in all parts of Oman.

Remarks: This species is widespread and common in most parts of Oman, especially in the Dhofar Region. The host plants of this small Satyridae butterfly are various Poaceae, such as Poa annua (Tshikolovets 2011).

Charaxinae Guenée, 1865 Charaxes hansali arabica Riley, 1931 (Figs. 18-19)

Material examined: 2 exx. OMAN, Gov. Dhofar, Jabal al Qamar, near Mugurah, N16°47.463' E53°28.364' 896 m, forested hillside, 22.04.2009 leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 1 ex. OMAN, Gov. Dhofar, Wadi Darbat, N17°05.152' E54°26.815' 190 m, bushy pasture, 11.07.2010 leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 9 exx. OMAN, Gov. Dhofar / 8 km S of Mugurah / N16°46.246' E53°28.488' / 480 m dry forested area / 29.04.2019 / leg. L. Ábrahám, S. Ilniczky, G. Körtési.

Distribution: The nominate subspecies is endemic to the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia), while further subspecies are found in other arid areas in East Africa. In the Arabian Peninsula, two subspecies occur with allopatric distribution: C. hansali arabica and C. h. yemeni Turlin, 1998, with the latter being endemic to Yemen (Williams 2019).

Remarks: Altogether 186 Charaxes Ochsenheimer, 1816 species are known to occur in the Afrotropical region with many similar species in various species groups. C. hansali arabica occurs only in Dhofar, where it is moderately common in suitable habitats: foothill savannah and scrubland. The possible host plant of this remarkable butterfly is Salvadora persica.

Charaxes varanes bertrami (Riley, 1931)

Material examined: 2 exx. / OMAN, Gov. Dhofar, Jabal al Qamar, below Mugurah, N16°45.950' Е53°30.81Г 42 m, seashore with spring and grove, 07.09.2010 leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 1 ex. / OMAN, Gov. Dhofar / 3 km W of Rakhyuth / N16°45.225' 53°23.905' / 36 m wadi / 2018.10.31. / leg. L. Ábrahám, S. Ilniczky.

Distribution: The nominate subspecies is confined to Southern Africa, while the distribution of ssp. vologeses covers almost the rest of mainland sub-Saharan Africa (Williams 2019). It is among the most widespread Charaxes species. C. varanes bertrami, occurring only in Dhofar, was the only population known from Arabia for a very long time, but another population was found in Yemen, which is considered to belong to C. varanes vologeses (Larsen 1982).

Remarks: It is a quite common butterfly in the woodlands and the coastal wadis there. Both C. hansali arabica and C. varanes bertrami are attracted to rotten-fermented fruit and dung.

Nymphalinae Rafinesque, 1815 Junonia hierta cebrene (Trimen, 1870)

Material examined: 1 ex. / OMAN, Gov. Dhofar, Jabal al Qamar / seashore below Mugurah, 42 m / N16°45.550' Е53°30.81Г / 09.07.2010 / leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 3 exx. / OMAN, Gov. Dhofar, Jabal al Qara, W of Al Mughsayl /N16°51.243' E53°43.149’ 496 m, grassy hillside / 10.07.2009 / leg. S. Ilniczky, S. J. Simonyi; 2 exx. / OMAN, Gov. Dhofar / 3 km N of Quiroon Hairitti / N17° 16.362' E54°04.949' 813 m dry