Berberia abdelkader, the giant grayling, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.[1] It is endemic to the North African region, mainly Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It flies in the vast steppes and the males are easily seen flying in search of a shy female. Usually, females are fertilised as soon as they hatch.
| Giant grayling | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Berberia |
| Species: | B. abdelkader
|
| Binomial name | |
| Berberia abdelkader (Pierret, 1837)
| |
| Synonyms | |
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Subspecies
editThere are three subspecies of Berberia abdelkader:
- B. a. abdelkader - (Col du Jerada and Oujda in eastern Morocco, Algeria, western Libya
- B. a. nelvai (Seitz, 1911) (Aurès Mountains of Algeria, Moularès Mines of Tunisia)
- B. a. taghzefti (Wyatt, 1952) - (Taghzeft Pass in Morocco)
Flight period
editJune to October, depending on altitude and locality.
Food plants
editLarvae have been recorded on Stipa tenacissima.
References
edit- ^ "Berberia de Lesse, 1951" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- Satyrinae of the Western Palearctic
- Michel Tarrier.es: Berberia abdelkader
- Tennent, John, 1996; The Butterflies of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia; ISBN 0-906802-05-9