The Italian Marbled White is a satyrine butterfly endemic to central and southern Italy including Sicily (Nardelli & Benedetto 1994). It occurs in dry grasslands with scattered shrubs and trees. The caterpillars feed on grasses (Jutzeler 1993, Russo 1991, van Swaay et al. 2012). Melanargia arge was one of 26 butterflies listed in Appendix II of the Bern Convention (Council of Europe 1979).
Melanargia arge, the Italian marbled white, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.[2] M. arge Sulz. (= amphitrite Hbn.) (39 f). Above white, only the submarginal lunate line, the two short bands in the centre and at the apex of the cell, and the beautifully blue-centred ocelli being dark — ab. caeca Stgr. is without ocelli; rare among the preceding.[3] It is an endemic species found only in the southern half of Italy and the eastern half of the Italian island of Sicily. It flies in May and June in a single generation in rocky places with abundant flowers. The caterpillar feeds on grasses.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Melanargia arge, the Italian marbled white, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. M. arge Sulz. (= amphitrite Hbn.) (39 f). Above white, only the submarginal lunate line, the two short bands in the centre and at the apex of the cell, and the beautifully blue-centred ocelli being dark — ab. caeca Stgr. is without ocelli; rare among the preceding. It is an endemic species found only in the southern half of Italy and the eastern half of the Italian island of Sicily. It flies in May and June in a single generation in rocky places with abundant flowers. The caterpillar feeds on grasses.
