(Esper, 1783)
Esper's Marbled White
Description:
Esper's Marbled White is a butterfly of grassy vegetation, occurring both on acid and calcareous soils. They are often found on dry, rocky slopes but also in grassy glades in woods. They are fond of visiting thistles and like plants for their nectar.
Various meadograsses (Poa spp.) and false bromes (Brachypodium spp.), Feather Grass (Stipa pinnata), and Aegilops geniculata are used as food plants.
The caterpillars hibernate and pupate on the ground in the spring. This species is single-brooded.
Habitat:
Dry siliceous grasslands
Dry calcareous grasslands
Mesophile grasslands
Similar species:
Melanargia galathea
Melanargia larissa
Melanargia lachesis