Melitaea ornata Christoph, 1893

Host plants:
The larvae feed on Centaurea and thistle species. In N-Hungary, Cirsium pannonicum is the main host plant. In northern Greece, I recorded the larva on Centaurea.

Habitat:
Melitaea ornata inhabits dry and warm sites like nutrient-poor grasslands, pastures, rocky slopes, steppe relics, the garigue.

Life cycle:
The larvae hibernate. From this hibernation instar they show reddish heads and are thus easily distinguished from M. phoebe. They are mature between March and May, according to the region. The adults appear between late April and June or July, according to the site. Oviposition occurs in batches on lower sides of the leaves of the hostplant. Young larvae live together in a webbing.

Remarks:
Melitaea ornata occurs locally in the Provence and in S-Italy including Sicily, then in N-Hungary and in the southern Balkans (Bulgaria, North Macedonia, especially in Greece). The butterfly is furthermore found in S-Russia. Related taxa with varying classification are known from N-Africa (M. punica) and W-Asia. Melitaea pseudornata has been described from Spain recently. I observed its larvae near Molina de Aragon in early April 2023. They are similar to those of ornata in France (Provence). Supposedly pseudornata would be the right taxon for France, too. But taxonomy is still in process in this Melitaea group.