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Butterfly populations are a very good indicator of the health of an area's ecosystem !!
Coenonympha saadi is a butterfly distributed in Transcaucasia, Iran, Iraq, and south eastern Turkey.
They inhabit arid sparse woodlands, desert and semi desert areas.
Their flight period lasts from early May to late June, sometimes extending to early July in a single generation.
They are a small to medium sized butterfly with a wingspan of about 30 - 40 mm.
The main color of the dorsal wing surface is light brown or rust colored orange brown.
The forewings often have a small, sometimes inconspicuous, black eyespot.
The hindwings are plain brown.
The most distinctive feature is the black eyespots on the ventral side of the hindwing, arranged in a row near the outer margin, surrounded by a whitish band on the outside.
These spots play an important role in identifying the species.
The ventral wing ground color is also usually light brown or off white.
Females generally slightly larger than males and their wing patterns are slightly paler.
They have a faster, more agile flight pattern than other Coenonympha species.
They are usually active in sunny, warm weather, and are often seen nectaring on flowers or resting in grass.
They usually keep their wings closed when they land.
Their host plants are Poa Annua and other grasses.
Diet: caterpillars eat Poa Annua and other grasses.
Diet: adult butterflies take nectar from flowers.
Avg. wingspan: 3 - 4 cm / 1.18 – 1.57 “
Family: Nymphalidae
* As members of the Brush Footed (Nymphalidae) family, they use their shorter pair of front legs for food tasting, and their two pairs of longer rear legs for propulsion.
The single biggest threat to butterfly survival is habitat destruction!!
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