Melitaea acentria is a butterfly was discovered in 2017[1] by evolutionary biologist-entomologist Vladimir Lukhtanov[2] over Mount Hermon ski resort, northern Israel.[3] When it was first seen in 2012 it was incorrectly believed that it belonged to the Persian fritillary (Melitaea persea) species[4] due to its similar appearance. Once the internal anatomy and DNA was researched, this was discounted as it had the Acentria's fritillary DNA, different genitalia and a unique molecular signature. It is more than 1.5 million years old and is Israel’s first newly-discovered butterfly species in over a century.[5] Its natural habitat is northern Israel, Syria and Lebanon.[6] It is among a very few butterflies that has resulted from hybridisation between two other species in the past.[7]
| Melitaea acentria | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Melitaea |
| Species: | M. acentria
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melitaea acentria Lukhtanov, 2017
| |
References
edit- ^ "New butterfly species discovered in Israel for the first time in 109 years". Retrieved 2018-08-20.
- ^ "This beautiful butterfly species took a million years to be discovered". From the Grapevine. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
- ^ "New butterfly species discovered in Israel for the first time in 109 years". Pensoft blog. 2017-05-09. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
- ^ "Israel Butterfly Discovery: New Insect Species Found At Ski Resort". International Business Times. 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
- ^ Lukhtanov, Vladimir A. (2017-05-05). "A new species of Melitaea from Israel, with notes on taxonomy, cytogenetics, phylogeography and interspecific hybridization in the Melitaea persea complex (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)". Comparative Cytogenetics. 11 (2): 325–357. doi:10.3897/CompCytogen.v11i2.12370. ISSN 1993-078X. PMC 5596984. PMID 28919968.
- ^ "New Species of Butterfly Discovered in Israel: Acentria's Fritillary | Biology | Sci-News.com". Breaking Science News | Sci-News.com. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
- ^ Lukhtanov, Vladimir A. (2017-05-05). "A new species of Melitaea from Israel, with notes on taxonomy, cytogenetics, phylogeography and interspecific hybridization in the Melitaea persea complex (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)". Comparative Cytogenetics. 11 (2): 325–357. doi:10.3897/CompCytogen.v11i2.12370. ISSN 1993-0771. PMC 5596984. PMID 28919968.
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