Melanargia arge
Melanargia arge, the Italian marbled white, is a butterfly in the Nymphalidae family. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Scientific classification: Kingdom Animalia; Phylum Arthropoda; Class Insecta; Order Lepidoptera; Family Nymphalidae; Genus Melanargia; Species arge.
It is an endemic species found only in southern mainland Italy and eastern Sicily. The wings are white with dark markings: a submarginal lunate line, two short central and apical bands, and dark eye-like spots with blue centers. Some rare forms lack the eye-spots. Adults fly in May and June, in rocky places with many flowers, and there is one generation per year. The caterpillar feeds on grasses.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:14 (CET).