Pararge xiphioides Staudinger, 1871


Pararge xiphioides: Adult [S] Pararge xiphioides: Adult (La Palma, December 2010) [N] Pararge xiphioides: Adult (La Palma, December 2010) [N] Pararge xiphioides: Female (La Gomera, El Cedro, February 2013) [N] Pararge xiphioides: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pararge xiphioides: Female (e.l. Tenerife 2012) [S] Pararge xiphioides: Upper side [N] Pararge xiphioides: Lower side [S] Pararge xiphioides: Lower side [N] Pararge xiphioides: Ovae [S] Pararge xiphioides: L1 larva [S] Pararge xiphioides: Half-grown larva (La Gomera, Valle Hermosa, February 2013) [M] Pararge xiphioides: Half-grown larva (La Gomera, Valle Hermosa, February 2013) [M] Pararge xiphioides: Larva [S] Pararge xiphioides: Half-grown larva (La Gomera, December 2011) [M] Pararge xiphioides: Half-grown larva (La Gomera, December 2011) [M] Pararge xiphioides: Larva (La Gomera) [M] Pararge xiphioides: Larva (La Gomera) [M] Pararge xiphioides: Larva (Tenerife, Anaga mountains, March 2012) [M] Pararge xiphioides: Pupa (e.l. Tenerife 2012) [S] Pararge xiphioides: Pupa (brown form) [S] Pararge xiphioides: Pupa lateral [S] Pararge xiphioides: Pupa [S] Pararge xiphioides: Pupa (La Gomera) [N] Pararge xiphioides: Pupa [N] Pararge xiphioides: Pupa (La Gomera) prior to emergence [S] Pararge xiphioides: Habitat in Gran Canaria [N] Pararge xiphioides: Habitat on la Gomera above Taguluche (February 2013) [N] Pararge xiphioides: Larval habitat in the shady part of the range in the laurel forest of La Gomera (February 2013)  [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on various grasses (Poaceae). They seem to prefer Brachypodium (Brachypodium arbusculum at sunny places and B. sylvaticum in the forests).

Habitat:
Pararge xiphioides inhabits grassy rocky slopes, scrub, forest edges, sunspots in the woodlands and even gardens. Pararge xiphioides belongs together with Pieris rapae to the most common butterflies on the western Canaries.

Life cycle:
The adults are found throughout the year. I found numerous fresh butterflies in the end of December 2005 all over La Gomera, but especially common in the mountains around Vallehermoso. Empty pupae were found in crevices on grass blades.

Endangerment factors:
Not endangered

Remarks:
Pararge xiphioides is endemic to the Canary Islands, where the butterfly is missing only in the East (Fuerteventura and Lanzarote).



Pararge aegeria | Pararge xiphia