Results and discussion 
From all collected specimens only six individuals had 
the external characteristics according to which they 
could be identified as M. ornata. Localities in which the 
specimens were collected are shown in Fig. 1 and listed 
here: 
1. Mt. Ucka, Vela Ucka, Istria, dry karstic grassland, 
45.305554, 14.205031, 30.V.2002. 
2. Gorjani Sutinski, near the church Sv. Jakob, Mt. 
Strahinscica, wet meadow, 46.177722, 15.947750, 
20. v. 2012. 
3. 1200 m E from Gorjani Sutinski, Mt. Strahinscica, 
wet meadow, 46.180250, 15.964833, 20.V.2012. 
4. Vugrovec, Mt. Medvednica, wet meadow, 
45.874578, 16.108326, 24.V.2010. 
5. Zrmanja Vrelo, Zrmanja river, wet meadows 1 
km south from the river spring, 44.203035, 16.070720, 
l.v.2012. 
6. Road toward village Velji Do, Mt. Snijeznica, dry 
karstic grassland, 42.550942, 18.354265, 2.V.2012. 
Fig. 1. Distribution of M. 
ornata in Croatia. 
1. Mt. Ucka, Vela Ucka, 
2 . Gorjani Sutinski, near the 
church Sv. Jakob, Mt. 
Strahinscica, 
3. 1200m E from Gorjani 
Sutinski, Mt. Strahinscica, 
4 . Vugrovec, Mt. Medvednica, 
5. Zrmanja Vrelo, wet 
meadows 1 km south from the 
river spring, 
6. Road towards village Velji 
Do, Mt. Snijeznica. 
There are several external characteristic on which it is 
possible to distinguish adults of M. ornata from M. 
phoebe (Fig. 2): the triangular shaped lunules on the 
underside of the fore-wing; the disconnected, triangular 
shaped lunules in the marginal region of the hind-wing; 
the broader and elliptic antennal club (Tóth & Varga 
2011). The most important difference between male 
genitalia of M. phoebe and M. ornata is the depth of the 
central notch of the saccus in M. ornata (Fig. 3), as well 
as the more symmetrie shape of the posterior processes 
(Tóth & Varga 2010). With all these in mind we can 
conclude that the collected specimens belong to M. 
ornata rather than M. phoebe. Three specimens 
collected in the year 2012, as well as three specimens 
from the private collection, were determined as M. 
ornata. In the same localities more specimens of M. 
phoebe were observed and collected, which shows that 
these two similar species are sympatric in the area. 
Ecology 
All specimens were collected in May, which is in 
agreement with the univoltine appearance of M. ornata 
in comparison with M. phoebe (Tóth & Varga 2010). Five 
records were recorded in a mountain zone (Mt. Ucka, 
Mt. Medvednica, Mt. Strahinscica and Mt. Snijeznica), 
while the record from Zrmanja Vrelo can also be 
considered as such. The area of Zrmanja spring is under 
an interesting climatic inversion, which allows some 
butterflies species, which are usually present on higher 
altitudes, to live there (Koren et al. 2011). All the 
specimens, except the ones from Mt. Ucka and Mt. 
Snijeznica were collected in wet meadows. 
Phegea 41 (3) 01.ix.2013: 64 
ISSN 0771-5277 
