Esper's marbled white (Melanargia russiae) is a butterfly in thefamily Nymphalidae. It is found in Spain, Portugal, south-eastern France, Italy, the Balkans, southern Russia, the Caucasus and western Siberia. The male has a wingspan of 26–30 mm. Adults are on wing in from June to August, although mainly in July in rocky places. There is one generation per year. The larvae feed on Brachypodium, Poa, Stipa pennata and Aegilops geniculata. It overwinters in the larval stage