[4] The female butterfly lays about 20–30 eggs in spring, a day after mating, on the young buds of its host plant, Sinai thyme (Thymus decussatus).

After an incubation period of a few days, the eggs hatch into small larvae which feed on the buds and flowers of Sinai thyme.

The pupae spend the whole autumn and winter in their cocoons, and when the temperature rises in late spring (during April to June), the adults emerge and males begin searching for females.

The patch network is likely to be dynamic as a consequence of disturbance resulting from grazing, over-collection for medicinal purposes and the influence of global warming.

These variables will affect the spatial pattern and size of the butterfly's habitat and are problems managers face with many species elsewhere that live in dynamic and fragmented landscapes.

These herds are valuable resources for their livelihood because goats and sheep provide them with meat and milk, as well as wool, hair and skin.

It has been demonstrated by Mike James and Martin Hoyle that the overall pattern of grazing pressure is affected by two main factors: altitude, and distance from villages.

Increased grazing pressure together with the expected rise in temperature over the coming years would be the main cause of the extinction of this small butterfly.

But when average temperatures warmed slightly above a critical threshold, the entire butterfly population would suddenly crash.