| Melitaea athalia is very similar to Melitaea celadussa. Checking the genitalia in males is the only way to get a reliable identification and tell these two species apart. |
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| 1] male of Melitaea athalia alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 18/06/2021 | | 2] same specimen as 1]
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| 3] close-up of the genitalia of the male shown in photo 1]. The tooth on the valve (or sometimes just the bulge) pointed with a blue arrow is the decisive criterion for separating this species from Melitaea celadussa whose valves lack this tooth. | | 4] other view of the genitalia of the male shown in photo 1]
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| 5] close-up of the head of a male alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 12/06/2021 | | 6] male alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 12/06/2021
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| 7] other male alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 12/06/2021 | | 8] other male alt.320m, close-up of the head - Haute-Garonne (France) - 12/06/2021 | |
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| 9] male alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 18/06/2021 | | 10] same specimen as 9] | |
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| 11] male alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 11/06/2021 | | 12] same specimen as 11] | |
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| 13] close-up of the genitalia of the male shown in photo 11] (right side - internal view). In this specimen, the tooth is replaced by a bulge | | 14] close-up of the genitalia of the male shown in photo 11] (left side - external view)
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| 15] other male alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 11/06/2021 | | 16] other male alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 18/06/2021 | |
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| 17] close-up of the genitalia of a male alt.320m. Here, there is only a bulge visible instead of a tooth - Haute-Garonne (France) - 18/06/2021 | | 18] other view of the genitalia shown in 17]
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| 19] close-up of the genitalia of another male alt.320m. Here, the tooth is well developped - Haute-Garonne (France) - 18/06/2021 | | 20] other view of the genitalia shown in 19]
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| 21] female of Melitaea athalia alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 12/06/2021 | | 22] other female alt.320m - Haute-Garonne (France) - 12/06/2021 | |
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