Has Menorca had a relly early butterfly season?

[Bertl]

I am just back from a weeks holiday in Menorca. I was very disappointed with the lack of butterflies. To be fair I only spent a couple of mornings looking but the few i seen were well past their sell by date apart from a couple. There was a lack of flowers even in alot of the house gardens........was it a very early butterfly season due to the heatwaves?

There were alot of dragonfly on the wing.

Thought I would share the photos.

Cheers

Bert.

[Padfield]

I would be surprised if Menorca hadn't had an early season, given what I saw in Spain back in April and what others have since reported.

In general, islands have relatively few butterflies, but high numbers of endemics. You seem to have found a good selection of non-leps, though - including Italian wall lizard if I am not mistaken!

Guy

[aeshna5]

Shame you didn't see more butterflies, but some great shots. Can see Broad Scarlets, Keeled Skimmer & Copper Demoiselles amongst your Odonata shots.

[David M]

Spain (including the Balearics) had a phenomenally warm spring, but a persistent low pressure system in the western Mediterranean made June a cool, wet and windy month.

I think things, by late summer, had evened themselves out, but the year has been one of extremes at both ends of the spectrum and in close chronological proximity, so I would suggest that this hasn't been a particularly good summer for butterflies in that part of Europe, although the vegetation has probably benefited from the excess rain through June.

[Bertl]

Guy/David/Aeshna

Thanks for all your replies.

Bert.