Hyponephele lupina

BUTTERFLY INFO

Hyponephele lupina is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae on the island of Crete, Greece.

Scientific name

Hyponephele lupina (O. Costa, 1836)

Common name

Oriental Meadow Brown

Classification

Family: Nymphalidae > Subfamily: Satyrinae > Tribus: Satyrini > Genus: Hyponephele

Wingspan

Male to female: 35-40 mm

Appearance

The external margin of the hindwing in both sexes is strongly concaved between veins. The rusty yellow on the underside of the forewing is brighter, the underside of the hindwing is strongly speckled.

Male: The upper side of the forewing is grey-brown, with androconia and an “eye". The underside of the forewing is orange with a similar “eye" to the upper side.

Female: It has orange color around the “eyes" on the upper side of the forewing which is similar to the male. The underside of the hindwing is light grey-brown.

Behavior

The butterfly flies fast and never opens the wings when resting.

Habitat

Hyponephele lupina in Crete can be found in fields in lowlands with light scrubland, very nutrient-poor and dry, stony or rocky habitats like rocky slopes, stony pastures, and similar places from sea level up to 2,000 m asl.

Food plant

The larvae feed on grasses with low production.

Flight period

The butterfly flies in one generation per year.

Remarks

The butterfly could be possibly confused with Maniola jurtina (Meadow Brown), which also occurs in Crete. A useful tip to spot the difference is that the external margin of the hindwing in both sexes of Hyponephele lupina is strongly concaved between veins, more than Maniola jurtina.

Hyponephele lupina has a limited distribution in the island in comparison to Maniola jurtina, which is a quite common species in Crete.

Status*

Least Concern (LC)

(*European Red List of Butterflies, 2010)