Andalucia

[aeshna5]

On this board there's an old discussion topic on Lantana, available via the search function on the site, which suggests it's probably not worth bothering with as a nectar source here, though it can be grown as an annual under British conditions. I haven't noticed it being used much in Spain, either - that Lang's is the only butterfly I can recall using it.

Hopeful of getting my Asclepias curassavica seedlings through the winter to see what is attracted to that in a British summer...

I saw an image on FB yesterday of a Large White in Cyprus on Lantana. The plant can be over-wintered easily enough if protected from frost & easily propagated from cuttings. Have seen large plants outside on the Isles of Scilly where winters are mild & possibly in other sheltered locations.

[David M]

Thanks, aeshna. We're pretty mild near the Gower coast so it might be worth a try.

[Matsukaze]

The burnt mountain - the western end of the Serrania de Mijas after the wildfires there this summer. As far as I could see, the hot, exposed and relatively treeless south side got much less damaged than the forested north side.

Already some of the ground layer is reappearing.

The ground layer at the edge of the fire - what it was like before...

The trees from a few photos earlier are still alive - hopefully they will survive into the future.

[Matsukaze]

Somehow in 20+ years of visiting the Malaga area, I hadn't managed to visit in high summer before. In truth it was disappointing - I would have seen more butterflies and more species if I had stayed in my garden, and humidity plus temperatures of around 35C made looking for them unpleasant.

There were, however, highlights. Striped Grayling was the commonest species about. It's an old favourite of mine but one I hadn't seen in over a decade. They seemed to enjoy sparse, rocky ground where few if any other butterflies were on the wing (something I've noticed before - this species seems to like having its habitat to itself). Big, active butterflies whose bold underwing markings make for excellent disruptive camouflage, but once detected on the ground, their reliance on camouflage means they sit still and allow themselves to be photographed - from a distance, anyway.

There were a couple of Bath Whites about:

This is, I think, Spanish Brown Argus Aricia crameri. Just the one seen:

This one is a bit of an enigma. Too small for a Meadow Brown, I'd wondered about Small or Dusky Heath when it was in flight, but don't think it was either of those:

I saw one new species for me - Southern Gatekeeper - one male. Spanish Gatekeeper abounds in the area earlier in the year.

[David M]

...This one is a bit of an enigma. Too small for a Meadow Brown, I'd wondered about Small or Dusky Heath when it was in flight, but don't think it was either of those..

Looks like Dusky Meadow Brown to me, Chris. You'll be tripping over those next week!

[Matsukaze]

Excellent - thanks - a new species for me. Looking forward to next week!

[David M]

We generally get Oriental Meadow Brown too, but you'll need to look closely amongst the myriad jurtina and lycaon.

[Padfield]

Hi Matsukaze. As you know, I was in the Málaga area at the beginning of April and it was already burnt up, with two-tailed pasha flying as early as 1st April. The heat and drought continued after I left and I suspect this had a negative effect on the summer generations. It is worth it normally in the summer. I've been three times in July and August in the last few years (2017, 2020, 2021) and really enjoyed it. Each time I had temperatures over 40°C - and as much as 47°C (my iPhone said 48°C in Córdoba in 2017) - and many species hid in the shade for much of the day, but precisely because of the special conditions there are species and forms down there that you can't see in most of Europe. The Spanish chalkhill blues, for example, are pure white, unlike their Daz-blue counterparts further north. And the purple hairstreaks are very special. Here is a group of them in Córdoba, just sitting in the shade doing nothing:



They are almost unmarked beneath:



Give it another try in a more normal year - if we are to be blessed with such a thing again!

Guy

[David M]

Good advice, Guy. This area of Spain even in summer ought to provide some goodies. Although we have seen some seriously hot conditions in this part of Europe in summer these last few years, there are some species that can take it in their stride.

Southern Spain is slowly turning into north Africa, so best to get out there as soon as possible. In another 20 years, if conditions don't change, I fear for this wonderful area of the Iberian peninsula.

[Benjamin]

Is that ‘enigma’ definitely lycaon David? Looks like a female jurtina to me (I certainly wouldn’t hesitate in the areas where I see both species) but you do lead many trips in this part of the world, and I’ve pretty much never been there so if you say so I’ll take it!

[David M]

Could well be jurtina, Ben, and very sadly the diagnostic which would have proved its identity (i.e. the additional unf spot below the apical one), has been removed - most likely by a predator.

One thing I am certain of is how common lycaon will be in a week's time!

[Roger Gibbons]

Is that ‘enigma’ definitely lycaon David? Looks like a female jurtina to me (I certainly wouldn’t hesitate in the areas where I see both species) but you do lead many trips in this part of the world, and I’ve pretty much never been there so if you say so I’ll take it!

I agree jurtina 100%. Species can vary, sometimes quite greatly, according to location, but I would say this one is clear-cut. Just my view.

Roger

[Matsukaze]

I'm not quite sure I can buy that as an ID. If it is jurtina, it is by some margin the smallest example of that species I have ever seen - Small/Dusky Heath size. I'm getting uneasy about lycaon as an ID for the same reason, though as far as I can tell lycaon is the smaller of the two meadow brown species.

[Padfield]

I consciously avoided wading into that one when I replied to Matsukaze's post!

For what it's worth, I can't see anything decisive to say it's not lycaon, but nor can I rule out jurtina. I think it's not lupinus, though, as the scalloping is nor marked enough, nor is there any real hint of a vestigial anal lobe.

I don't think size is significant. Tiny imagines are often produced after droughts from caterpillars that cut their losses and pupated before they were fully grown. They emerge as perfect miniatures - viable but probably less vigorous than their normal-sized peers. Better that than die as a caterpillar, wandering vainly in search of food. This year there was widespread drought in the region and I would expect some mini butterflies.

I would keep that life tick on hold, Matsukaze, and go back to the same place another year. Or come to Switzerland, where we have plenty of lycaon too (I need to go out and get my year tick for the species ...).

Guy

[Matsukaze]

A couple of years after the forest fire, greenery has returned to the hills (compare with a few posts above).

[Matsukaze]

A decent day for butterflies today. Plenty of large and small whites, the large whites being exceptionally large. Perhaps the high rainfall? Really good numbers of clouded yellows. Speckled woods and lots of freshly emerged Spanish gatekeepers looking velvety and Erebia-like. Strange to see gatekeepers the day before Good Friday. Blues thin on the ground, one rocket assisted fly by and one geranium bronze.

[Matsukaze]

Dappled White larva I presume, on Biscutella.

[Padfield]

It looks good for crameri to me. Nice find!

Guy

[Andy02]

A decent day for butterflies today. Plenty of large and small whites, the large whites being exceptionally large. Perhaps the high rainfall? Really good numbers of clouded yellows. Speckled woods and lots of freshly emerged Spanish gatekeepers looking velvety and Erebia-like. Strange to see gatekeepers the day before Good Friday. Blues thin on the ground, one rocket assisted fly by and one geranium bronze.

Plenty of Spanish Gatekeeper about on 15th April in Malaga province. The spring rain meant the coastal area was awash and knee deep in wild flowers. Never seen it so green in April before. One wasteground meadow had 30 + Green striped white flying around . An amazing sight.