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Marbled White

Melanargia galathea

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46.4815, 6.82319

Field Notes

Description:

This Eurasian butterfly in the family Nymphalidae is distinguished by its black and white markings. This one was found at the edge of a hay meadow where a band had been left intact in order to try and favor biodiversity.

Habitat:

Edge of meadow, alt. 700m ASL

Notes:

While there are several species in the genus Melanargia in Europe, M. galathea is the only species found in Switzerland. These butterflies are found in open flowery meadows, often feeding from purple knapweeds as seen here.

Reference Links:

Melanargia galathea, Melanargia galathea

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (16)
Isabela
What a beautiful collection, Daniele!!
DanielePralong
Thanks Maria! It's nice to see this type of agricultural practice taking place. This is a direct consequence of a recent change in government agricultural policy. The same meadow also has trees with bird nesting boxes :-)
Maria dB
Lovely spotting, Daniele. And the notes are of interest, too, showing that leaving some area intact, even around hay meadows, can help preserve some biodiversity.
Dixie
That's what I like about it too. Very pretty.
DanielePralong
Thanks Dixie! The light was perfect on that day. I love this butterfly's simple black and white design.
Dixie
Really nice shots. Very nice siting.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Butterflies & Moths of the World
Mission
European Butterflies and Moths
Mission
Swiss wildlife
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project

Tags

Photographed
PublishedOctober 29, 2014

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