Introduction
The genus Melitaea comprises of about 70 small-medium sized butterflies – species which are only very distantly related the the larger Fritillaries such as Argynnis and Argyreus, which are members of the subfamily Heliconiinae.
Melitaea are distributed widely across the Palaearctic region with representatives found from Portugal and Spain to Tibet, Siberia, China, and Japan. There are 8 European species, of which 4 extend their range into north Africa. A single species abyssinica is found in Ethiopia, but the genus is not represented south of the Sahara. The remaining species, i.e. the vast majority, are inhabitants of the temperate grasslands, woodlands, and mountain valleys of central Asia.
Melitaea sibina is endemic to the Tien Shan and Vanj mountains at the borders of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Xingjian Uyghur region of western China.
Habitats
This is a high altitude species found on scree slopes and rock-strewn grasslands of the Tien Shan.
Lifecycle
To be completed.
Adult behaviour
To be completed.