Coenonympha gardetta (Prunner, 1798)


Coenonympha gardetta: Adult (Nockalmberge, Asutria, July 2009) [N] Coenonympha gardetta: Adult [N] Coenonympha gardetta: Lower side [N] Coenonympha gardetta: Male [N] Coenonympha gardetta: Adult (e.l. Täschalpe, Valais, Switzerland, 2010) [S] Coenonympha gardetta: Adult (Col de Var, France, July 2012) [N] Coenonympha gardetta: Larva dorsal [S] Coenonympha gardetta: Larva lateral [S] Coenonympha gardetta: Larva (Täschalpe, Valais, 2000m above sea level, early June 2010) [M] Coenonympha gardetta: Larva (Täschalpe, Valais, 2000m above sea level, early June 2010) [M] Coenonympha gardetta: Pupa (green form, Täschalpe, Valais, Switzerland) [S] Coenonympha gardetta: Pupa (light, heavily sketched form, e.l. Täschalpe, Valais, 2010) [S] Coenonympha gardetta: Habitat in the Valais at larval time in late May/early June in ca. 2200m above sea level (Täschalpe) [N] Coenonympha gardetta: Habitat in the Bregenzer Wald (Kanisfluh, W-Austria) in 1600 bis 2000m above sea level at flight time (2010) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars feed on grasses.

Habitat:
Coenonympha gardetta colonizes alpine meadows and grassy, rocky slopes from about 1500m up to 2600m above sea level. The butterflies can be encountered quite numerous (especially in only moderately dense growing meadows).

Life cycle:
A single generation flies from June to August. The caterpillar overwinters.

Endangerment factors:
Coenonympha gardetta is not endangered, but it loses locally habitats due to tourism and overgrazing.

Remarks:
Coenonympha gardetta is close to Coenonympha arcania. This species is lacking at this altitude (but some contact zones in the Southwestern Alps). The distribution ranges from the French Massif Central across the Alps to the Balkans.



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