Muschampia tessellum (Hübner, 1803)


Muschampia tessellum: Male (e.l., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Male (e.l., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Male (e.l., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Male (e.l., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Male (e.l., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Male (e.l. rearing, N-Greece, NW of Kozani, larva in early June 2019) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Male (e.l. rearing, N-Greece, NW of Kozani, larva in early June 2019) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Male (Greece, Mount Olympus, early August 2012) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Male (Greece, Mount Olympus, early August 2012) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Male (Olympus, Greece, early August 2012) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Male (Olympus, Greece, early August 2012) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Female (e.l., Greece, Mount Olympus, larvae found in May 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Female (e.l., Greece, Mount Olympus, larvae found in May 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Female (e.l., Greece, Mount Olympus, larvae found in May 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Female (e.l., Greece, Mount Olympus, larvae found in May 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Egg (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Egg (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Egg (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Egg (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Egg (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Egg (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Egg (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Egg (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Hatching egg (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Empty egg shell (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 next to its empty egg shell (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 next to its empty egg shell (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 begins to eat itself under the plant hairs and to create the hair case (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: The larva L1 has disappeared in its leaf hair case (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1, leaf hair case artificially opened (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1, leaf hair case artificially opened (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 begins to eat itself under the plant hairs and to create the hair case (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L1 in moult rest into L2 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Hair case and feeding pattern larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Hair case and feeding pattern larva L1 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L2 shortly after moult (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L2 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L2 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L2 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L2 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L2 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L2 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L2 in moult rest into L3 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Plant hair case of larva L2 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Plant hair case of larva L2 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L3 (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L3 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L3 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L3 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Hibernation case of a larva L3 (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Hibernating larva L3, case opened (e.o., N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, eggs found on 28. June 2023) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L3 after hibernation (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Half-grown larva in the end of L3 (Olympus, Greece, May 2008) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Half-grown larva in the end of L3 (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Half-grown larva (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L4 (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L4 (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L4 (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Larva in penultimate instar (Olympus, May 2008) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L4 (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L4 starts creating a new leaf case (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Shelter of a larva in the thirdlast instar (Olympus, Greece) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Shelter of a larva in penultimate instar (Olymp) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larva (e.l. Greece, Mount Olympus, half-grown larvae in May 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva (e.l. Greece, Mount Olympus, half-grown larvae in May 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva in last instar (e.l. Olympus 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva in last instar (e.l. Olympus 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva in last instar [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Larva (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L5 (e.l. N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in mid-April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L5 (e.l. N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in mid-April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L5 (e.l. N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in mid-April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L5 (e.l. N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in mid-April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva L5 (e.l. N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in mid-April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larva prior to constructing the pupal shelter (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Pupa (e.l. Olympus 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Pupa (e.l. Olympus 2008) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Pupa (e.l. rearing, N-Greece, NW of Kozani, larva in early June 2019) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Pupa (e.l. rearing, N-Greece, NW of Kozani, larva in early June 2019) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Pupa (e.l. rearing, N-Greece, NW of Kozani, larva in early June 2019) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Leaf case of half-grown larva after hibernation (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Leaf case of half-grown larva after hibernation (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Leaf case of half-grown larva after hibernation (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Leaf case of half-grown larva after hibernation (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval shelter (Greece, Mount Olympus, 1500m, 06. May 2008) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval shelter, opened (Greece, Mount Olympus, 1500m, 06. May 2008) [M] Muschampia tessellum: Leaf case of a L4 larva (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Leaf case of a L5 larva (e.l. N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, larvae found in mid-April 2022) [S] Muschampia tessellum: Larval shelter (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval shelter (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Inhabited host plant (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval habitat (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval habitat (N-Greece, NW of Kozani, early June 2019) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval habitat with larval shelter (Greece, Mount Olympus, 1500m, 06. May 2008) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval habitat with larval shelter (Greece, Mount Olympus, 1500m, 06. May 2008) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Infested Phlomis samia (Olympus, May 2008) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Habitat in Northern Greece (Olympus) in early May [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval habitat with into-leaf-coming Phlomis samia (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, mid-April 2022) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval habitat with Phlomis samia with many eggs (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval habitat with Phlomis samia with many eggs (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval habitat with Phlomis samia with many eggs (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [N] Muschampia tessellum: Larval habitat with Phlomis samia with many eggs (N-Greece, Vlasti N Siatista, 28. June 2023) [N]

Host plants:
Phlomis species. In Europe, only the usage of Phlomis samia is so far well known.

Habitat:
Muschampia tessellum settles on moderately dry to mesophilic, sunny and partial shrub-rich, large-scale, extensively grazed pasture landscapes in mostly medium altitudes from 500 to 1600m above sea level.

Life cycle:
Obviously, the caterpillar overwinters most often as L3. I found caterpillars on Phlomis samia in northern Greece in about 1400-1600m (Mount Olympus) in the first week of May (2008). These larvae still had to pass two further moults. Thus they have obviously been in L3. At that time (L3-L4) they usually web the leaf margin upwords to a pocket-like enclosure, provided that the leaf is fully developed. In the last instar, a larger shelter is webbed of a complete leaf which both sides are spun together upward. Prior to pupation, the last shelter is reinforced cocoon-like. The adults fly from mid-June (at low altitudes probably already from late May) to early August.
A frequent companion species is sometimes Zerynthia polyxena, from which I observed many adults, eggs and young caterpillars in early May 2008 in the same habitat on Mount Olympus.

I recorded mature larvae in northern Greece (Vlasti) in early June 2019, half-grown ones still in L3 after hibernation in mid-April 2022. In the same locality I found many eggs and L1-L2 larvae (one already in L3) on the lower sides of leaves on the bottom half of inflorescences (some eggs also on ground-standing leaves). The young larvae are scraping the epidermis of the leaves and live in cases between the leaf epidermis and the lifted star hairs of the plant which the larva spins loosely. For hibernation (most often in L3) they create a leaf case that dies in summer/autumn.

Endangerment factors:
Muschampia tessellum is severely threatened by changes of land usage. Both overgrazing and abandonment (and subsequent bush encroachment) destroy the habitat quality. Locally, also overbuilding contributes to the decline. So a generous built road has recently (after the year 2000) destroyed parts of the habitat on the western side of Mount Olympus.

Remarks:
The distribution extends from southeastern Europe through Asia Minor, S-Ukraine, S-Russia and the Middle East to Mongolia. In southeastern Europe, populations are known from northern Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia and very rarely also Romania.



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