The description of this issue is divided in four sections. This is part 3 of 4.

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Information and photos from the website: www .leps.it

"Moth and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa" by Paolo Mazzei, Raniero Panfili, Ilaria Pimpinelli, Diego Reggianti

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The Libyan issue was released on October 1st, 1981. It is made of 16 stamps printed in minisheet, size mm.213x145 (4 stamps of 5 dirhams, 4 stamps of 10 dirhams, 4 stamps of 15 dirhams, 4 stamps of 25 dirhams). The same stamps are also printed in four single de-luxe souvenir-sheets (5dh x 4, 10dh x 4, 15dh x 4, 25dh x 4).

   minisheet of 16 (detail of 4 stamps of 15 dirhams each)

Nymphalis antiopa - (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name: Camberwell Beauty   -   Family: Nymphalidae Nymphalinae Nymphalini

       larva

Euphydryas desfontainii - (Rambur, 1858)

Common name: Spanish Fritillary   -   Family: Nymphalidae Melitaeinae Melitaeini

Iphiclides podalirius - (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name: Scarce Swallowtail   -   Family: Papilionidae Papilioninae Graphiini

Glaucopsyche melanops - (Boisduval, [1828])

Common name: Black-eyed Blue   -   Family: Lycaenidae Lycaeninae Polyommatini

Something more about "BUTTERFLIES" (source Wikipedia)

Unlike many insects, butterflies do not experience a nymph period, but instead go through a pupal stage which lies between the larva and the adult stage (the imago). Butterflies are termed as holometabolous insects, and go through complete metamorphosis.

1) Egg   -   2) Larva, known as a caterpillar   -   3) Pupa (chrysalis)   -   4) Adult butterfly (imago)

It is a popular belief that butterflies have very short life spans. However, butterflies in their adult stage can live from a week to nearly a year depending on the species. Many species have long larval life stages while other can remain dormant in their pupal or egg stages and thereby survive winters.

Butterflies may have one or more broods per year. The number of generations per year varies from temperate to tropical regions with tropical regions showing a trend towards multivoltinism.

For further information about the aspects of Genetics and the evolution of butterflies, I suggest "Endless Forms Most Beautiful - The New Science of Evo-Devo" by Sean B.Carroll, 2005 (chapter 8).

See other related Guides: part 1, 2 and 4.

PHILATELICUM