rial ▁DNA ) ▁have ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁Mel ita ea ▁ath alia ▁populations ▁from ▁south western ▁Europe ▁( most ly ▁compr ising ▁sub species ▁M . ▁a . ▁cel ad uss a , ▁but ▁also ▁M . ▁a . ▁nev ad ensis ) ▁likely ▁const itute ▁a ▁separate ▁species ▁from ▁the ▁nom inal ▁M . ▁ath alia ▁that ▁is ▁w ides p read ▁throughout ▁the ▁Pala ear ctic ▁region . ▁These ▁but ter f lies ▁are ▁distinct ▁gen et ically ▁and ▁morph olog ically ▁in ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁gen ital ia . ▁This ▁newly ▁identified ▁species ▁has ▁been ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Mel ita ea ▁nev ad ensis , ▁Mel ita ea ▁cel ad uss a ▁or ▁Mel ita ea ▁hel vet ica . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁Mel ita ea ▁nev ad ensis ▁rep laces ▁Mel ita ea ▁ath alia ▁in ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula , ▁in ▁sout he astern ▁France , ▁western ▁and ▁southern ▁Switzerland , ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁Italy . ▁In ▁France ▁and ▁Italy , ▁the ▁ranges ▁of ▁these ▁two ▁species ▁are ▁separated ▁by ▁a ▁broad ▁transition ▁zone ▁where ▁the ▁spec im ens ▁have ▁intermediate ▁morph ological ▁features . ▁ ▁Description ▁It ▁has ▁a ▁wings pan ▁of ▁about ▁. ▁These ▁but ter f lies ▁are ▁golden ▁yellow ▁or ▁orange , ▁with ▁fine ▁black ▁mark ings . ▁ ▁Bi ology ▁C ater p ill ars ▁feed ▁on ▁Plant ago , ▁Ant ir r hin um , ▁Ver onica , ▁Lin aria , ▁Mel amp yr um , ▁Digital is ▁and