Spain in Spring

[roundwood123]

I am off to Spain in a couple of weeks, 50 miles south of Barcelona, has anyone any knowledge of butterflies in the area that i may find in mid March, the Ebro Delta and Els Ports national park look as though they could be productive, thanks Steve.

[Martin]

Sorry Steve, my knowledge is limited to the south coast, but I bet you find it hard to believe the sheer numbers compared to the UK.

If you want to buy a book that will cover the UK too I'd recommend "Butterflies of Europe by Tristan Lafranchis"

Some snaps from my last trip here http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB2/v ... =20&t=1745

Martin.

[roundwood123]

Thanks Martin, i think i will photograph any butterflies i see and ask the experts on this site to help id any i struggle with.
There does not seem to be much info on the web regarding Spanish Lepidoptera, thankfully thats not the case in this country.

[Lance]

Thanks Martin, i think i will photograph any butterflies i see and ask the experts on this site to help id any i struggle with.
There does not seem to be much info on the web regarding Spanish Lepidoptera, thankfully thats not the case in this country.

Guy and Matt Rowlings's sites are excellent for all the European species

[Padfield]

Thanks for the endorsement, Lance!

I've never visited that area in spring, but interesting things to look out for that might be on the wing there are:
Spanish festoon
Southern small white
Western dappled white
(possibly - Portuguese dappled white)
Provence orange tip
Cleopatra
Provence hairstreak
Long-tailed and Lang's short-tailed blues
African grass blue
Green-underside blue
Panoptes blue
Possibly Knapweed and spotted fritillaries
Red-underwing skipper
Rosy grizzled skipper (and other grizzlies - they often fly well before the books say)
Sage skipper
Mallow skipper

Of course many commoner British species, like speckled woods, large and small whites, painted ladies &c. will be flying.

And in towns, watch out for geranium bronzes - they are common in that region.

I look forward to your photos!!

Guy

[roundwood123]

Thanks Guy/Lance
I have looked at the web sites and they are both great, very informative and some cracking pictures, should make the identifying of the butterflies i see a lot easier.
Steve.

[roundwood123]

Back from a week in sunny spain to snow in North Essex, wish i could have stayed a bit longer.
I managed 15 species of butterfly; Brimstone,Red Admiral, Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Large/Small White and Painted Lady with the more interesting ones being Festoon, Swallowtail, Cleopatra, Wall Brown, Provence Orange-Tip, Black eyed Blue, Mallow Skipper and a mystery orange one that i did not get a pic off.[ it had a green underwing].
I think the small brown one is a Long Tailed Blue.

[Padfield]

Hi Steve,

Sitting in snow-bound Switzerland I feel intensely jealous!! I reached 8 species on 2nd March but have had unrelenting cold and snow storms recently.

Which little brown one did you mean? Not one of these three (excellent) pictures, I presume. The first is mallow skipper (which is on your list, so I guess you knew that). The third looks most like green-underside blue to me - it doesn't have strong enough marginal markings for black-eyed, which you also mention having seen. What did you have this down as?

Guy

[roundwood123]

Hi Guy, i thought the Green underside was a Black eyed so you have put me right there, the post spain pics 2 has the pic of a small brownish one that i think is long tailed. Steve

[Padfield]

Ah - I've found your Spain Pics 2 post. Yes, that is definitely a long-tailed blue.

Do you have any other pictures of black-eyed blue? I still think your other post shows a green-underside blue but I'm always open to persuasion!

Guy

[roundwood123]

Hi Guy, i am quite happy to go with Green Underside Blue, maybe these pics will help with the id.

[Martin]

Green underside looking at Lafranchis.

Martin.

[Padfield]

A bit tantalising! The second two pictures show certain characteristics of black-eyed blue, most notably in the positioning of the markings (forewing, tight curve, away from margin; hindwing costa, spots relatively close together and away from outer margin), and it's rather hard to see the detail of the submarginal region. The first picture still has all the jizz of green-underside to me. Are they all the same insect or are there two insects here?

If they're all the same insect, I go for green-underside. If the second two are a different insect, I'd seek a third opinion (Martin has gone for green-underside and I guess he has experience of both - I only have direct experience of green-underside).

Guy