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{{Short description|Species of butterfly}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Marbled white
| image = Marbled white (Melanargia galathea)
| image_caption = Male, upperside <br/>Whitecross Green Wood, [[Oxfordshire]], England
| image2 = Marbled white butterfly (Melanargia galathea) female.jpg
| image2_caption = female, upperside
| taxon = Melanargia galathea
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[Lepidoptera in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| synonyms =
*'' Papilio galathea'' Linnaeus, 1758
*'' Melanargia albibasa'' Lempke 1957
*'' Melanargia brunneocosta'' Lempke 1957
*'' Melanargia brunissime'' Perrier 1935
*'' Melanargia caeca'' Lempke 1957
*'' Melanargia carolina'' Weber 1964
*'' Melanargia caronae'' Gallay 1947
*'' Melanargia craskei'' Tubbs 1978
*'' Melanargia dissiuncta'' Gussitsch 1917
*'' Melanargia emma'' Rocci 1930
*'' Agapetes essonsakaria'' Verity, 1953
*'' Melanargia grisescens'' Varin 1948
*'' Melanargia hades'' Reiss 1961
*'' Melanargia laetepicta'' Stauder 1922
*'' Melanargia lepigrei'' Betz 1948
*'' Agapetes leucogonia'' Collier, 1952
*'' Agapetes macronereus'' Verity, 1957
*'' Agapetes macrosciritis'' Verity, 1953
*'' Melanargia magnifica'' Stauder 1913
*'' Agapetes microsciritis'' Verity, 1953
*'' Satyrus nereine'' Verity, 1935
*'' Melanargia nigrescens'' Varin 1948
*'' Satyrus nigrionereus'' Verity, 1935
*'' Melanargia pedemontii'' Rocci 1930
*'' Agapetes pedenereus'' Verity, 1953
*'' Agapetes pedenereine'' Verity, 1953
*'' Melanargia planorum'' Rocci 1930
*'' Melanargia pura'' Niepelt 1914
*'' Melanargia quadriocellata'' Pionneau 1937
*'' Melanargia sibillyna'' Rocci 1930
*'' Melanargia sylvia'' Rocci 1930
*'' Agapetes tenebrogigas'' Verity, 1938
*'' Agapetes tenebronana'' Verity, 1938
*'' Melanargia valentini'' Williams 1951
*'' Melanargia vitrimontis'' Kesseler 1945
}}
'''''Melanargia galathea''''', the '''marbled white''', is a medium-sized [[butterfly]] in the family [[Nymphalidae]].<ref>[http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2011/search/all/key/melanargia+galathea/match/1 Catalogue of life]</ref>
Despite its common name and appearance, this butterfly is one of the "browns", of the subfamily [[Satyrinae]].
This species can be found across most of Europe, southern Russia, Asia Minor and Iran. It is found in forest clearings and edges, meadows and steppe where it occurs up to {{convert|1500|-|1700|m}} above sea level.
==Subspecies==
[[Subspecies]] include:<ref name=Funet>[http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/satyrinae/melanargia/ "''Melanargia'' Meigen, 1828"] at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''</ref>
*''Melanargia galathea
*''Melanargia galathea
*''Melanargia galathea
*''Melanargia galathea
*''Melanargia galathea procida'' <small>(Herbst, 1796)</small>
*''Melanargia galathea satnia'' <small>Fruhstorfer, 1917</small> (= ''njurdzhan'' <small>Sheljuzhko</small>) Caucasus Major and Minor
*''Melanargia galathea tenebrosa'' <small>Fruhstorfer, 1917</small>
<gallery mode=packed>
(MHNT) Melanargia galathea magdalenae - Montereale Valcellina Italie - female dorsal.jpg| ''Melanargia galathea magdalenae'' ♀
(MHNT) Melanargia galathea magdalenae - Montereale Valcellina Italie - female ventral.jpg| ''Melanargia galathea magdalenae'' ♀ △
(MHNT) Melanargia galathea procida - Lago Di Cavazzo Frioul Italia - male dorsal.jpg|''Melanargia galathea procida'' ♂
(MHNT) Melanargia galathea procida - Lago Di Cavazzo Frioul Italia - male ventral.jpg|''Melanargia galathea procida'' ♂ △
</gallery>
<gallery mode = packed heights = 150px>
Marbled white (Melanargia galathea) male form procida Slivnica.jpg|male form procida
Marbled white (Melanargia galathea) female form procida Istria.jpg|female form procida
Marbled white (Melanargia galathea) male form procida underside Predjama.jpg|male form procida underside
Marbled white (Melanargia galathea) form procida female underside Istria.jpg|female form procida underside
</gallery>
==
This species can be found across most of Europe, southern Russia, Asia Minor and Iran. There is an isolated population in Japan.{{Verify source|date=October 2021|reason=Probably the map of funet is incorrect. This species isn't distributed in Japan.}} It is not found in Ireland, North Britain, Scandinavia (except Denmark) and Portugal or Spain. The late twentieth century saw an expansion of its range in the UK.<ref>[https://fauna-eu.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/d0ef3225-8f9a-491b-8507-99bf453991c5 Fauna europaea]</ref><ref name=West>[http://www.satyrinae.yolasite.com/melanargia-galathea.php Satyrinae of the Western Palearctic - ''Melanargia galathea'']</ref><ref name=Funet/>
==Habitat==
It is found in forest clearings and edges, meadows and steppe where it occurs up to 1,500-1,700 m above sea level.<ref name=West/> They are a common sight in unimproved grasslands across southern Britain, particularly on the [[South Downs]], but also extending slightly further north to places such as the [[Dunstable Downs]], Devil's Dyke near Newmarket, Fleam Dyke, Les King Wood near the South Cambs village of Cottenham, The "Edwards" wood, Dry Drayton.
==Description==
[[File:South1906Plate74.jpg|thumb|160px|right|Illustration of egg, larva and pupa]]
''Melanargia galathea'' has a [[wingspan]] of {{convert|46|-|56|mm}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/species/satyrids/ukm10.htm |title=European Butterfly Guide |access-date=2017-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515141119/http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/species/satyrids/ukm10.htm |archive-date=2009-05-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In these medium-sized butterflies the upper side of the wings is decorated with white and gray-black or dark brown markings, but it is always gray-black or dark brown checkered in the basal and distal areas. The underside is similar to the upper side but the drawings is light gray or light brown. On the underside of the hindwings is present a row of gray eye spots. The males and the females are quite similar, except that some females may have a yellowish nuance on the underside of the wings. Seitz - ''M. galathea''. In the otherwise black cell of both wing an oval white spot which is not divided by a transverse bar. On the hindwing above the ocelli are quite invisible or shine through very faintly from the underside.<ref>[[Adalbert Seitz|Seitz. A.]] in Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, ''Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter'', 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren){{PD-notice}}</ref>
<gallery mode=packed heights="140px">
(MHNT) Melanargia galathea - Foret de Bouconne, France - male dorsal.jpg|♂
(MHNT) Melanargia galathea - Foret de Bouconne, France - male ventral.jpg|♂ △
(MHNT) Melanargia galathea - Tarabel, France - female dorsal.jpg|♀
(MHNT) Melanargia galathea - Tarabel, France - female ventral.jpg|♀ △
</gallery>
This species is rather similar to the Iberian marbled white (''[[Melanargia lachesis]]'') that replaces ''M. galathea'' in Spain and southern France.
The caterpillars are about 28 millimeters long. They are green or yellow with some lighter and darker narrow longitudinal lines. The head is always light brown.
<gallery mode = packed heights = 150px>
Satyrinae - Melanargia galathea.091.JPG|
Satyrinae - Melanargia galathea mating.JPG|Mating
Melanargia galathea LC0360.jpg|Male underside
Melanargia galathea bottom MichaD.jpg|Female underside
Marbled white (Melanargia galathea) ab. leucomelas Istria.jpg|Form procida aberration leucomelas
</gallery>
==Life cycle==
Like other members of its subfamily, the larvae feed on various grasses. These include ''Phleum'' (''[[Phleum pratense|P. pratense]]''), ''Poa'' (''[[Poa annua|P. annua]]'', ''[[Poa trivalis|P. trivalis]]''), ''[[Festuca rubra]]'', ''[[Bromus erectus]]'', ''[[Dactylis]]'', ''[[Brachypodium pinnatum]]'', ''[[Agrostis capillaris]]'', ''[[Elytrigia]]'', ''[[Holcus]]'', ''[[Dactylis]]'', ''[[Triticum]]'' and ''[[Agropyron]]'' species .<ref name=Funet/>
Eggs are laid on the wing, or from brief perches on grass stems, and are just sprinkled among the grass stems. Upon hatching, the larvae immediately enter hibernation and only feed the following spring when the fresh growth occurs. They are a lime-green colour, with a dark green line running down the middle of their back. Pupation takes place at ground level in a loose cocoon. Adults can be found from early June to early September.<ref name=West/> On a good site, in warm, sunny weather, thousands can be seen gently fluttering amongst the grass heads.
==Alternative common names==
The marbled white was called "Our Half-mourner" by [[James Petiver]] (1717), "The Marmoris" by [[Benjamin Wilkes]] and "The Marmoress" by [[Moses Harris]].{{cn|date=May 2021}}
==References==
{{
{{Commons}}
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.lepiforum.de/cgi-bin/lepiwiki.pl?Melanargia_Galathea Lepiforum]
* Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili [http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesPages/MelanGalath.htm Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa]
* Kimmo Silvonen [http://www.kolumbus.fi/silvonen/lnel/nym3/Melgalat.htm Larvae of North-European Lepidoptera]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q157565}}
[[Category:Melanargia|galathea]]
[[Category:Butterflies of Asia]]
[[Category:Butterflies of Europe]]
[[Category:Insects of the Middle East]]
[[Category:Insects of Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Lepidoptera of Israel]]
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