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| A SECOND RECORD OF HIPPARCHIA ALGIRICA FROM
MALTA |
Whilst photographing butterflies with my daughter Amie on 1st
June, 1992, at Fort Bingemma limits of Mgarr, I came across a butterfly which I
thought was somewhat different from the Meadow brown, Maniola jurtina
hyperhspulla, a common endemic butterfly. I boxed it and on closer
inspection I noticed that it was completely different from the Meadow brown.
At home I tentatively identified it as belonging to the genus
Hipparchia. I telephoned my friend Paul Sammut of Rabat to inform him
about this record. The next day I took it to him, still on the setting board,
and he confirmed it as Hipparchia algirica. It was further identified as
the nomenotypical form which flies in North Africa. The prevailing strong winds
prior to and on the day the butterfly was recorded was south and south-east, so
the butterfly could not have been blown here from Sicily. The butterfly was in
perfect condition.
Another Hipparchia algirica was recorded from
Naxxar by the late Anthony Valletta on 23rd May, 1939. This specimen was at one
time considered to belong o a different and new subspecies, ssp.
vallettai De Lattin. However, this subspecies has been synonymised with
the Sicilian subspecies blanchieri.
I would like to thank my good
friend Paul Sammut for the constant help he gives me in identifying
lepidopterous insects.
This article appeared on AES BULLETTIN, Vol.52
p. 108
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