Catalonia's Butterflies

[Andrew Cunningham]

Hi all,

I recently spent some time in Catalonia and came across some decent butterflies including Great Banded Graylings, Two-tailed Pashas, Bath Whites, Clouded Yellows, Plain Tigers, Sage Skippers, Mallow Skippers, Striped Graylings, Tree Graylings, Lang's Short-tailed Blues, Long-tailed Blues, Wall Browns, Speckled Woods, Large Skippers, Common Blues and a few others I forget. I could have seen more but a fever during the holiday hampered my desire to travel far.

I have just sorted the photographs and named them. I have two problem species.

The first one could be rather embarrassing but it did vex me. I suspect it could simply be a Gatekeeper but there were quite a few of them and their behaviour did not match the Gatekeepers I see in the UK. None of them held their wings open in the sun. It does not come over as good for Spanish gatekeeper either and the nearest match in Tolman & Lewington I manage every time is Common Brassy Ringlet. Is this a sound conclusion?

The second picture I suspect is an 'ordinary' Grayling? It was seen high up on the Garraf massif just south of Barcelona.

Regards,
Andrew.

[Mikhail]

Hi Andrew. I think you'll kick yourself. Had you considered Small Heath for the first? I agree with Grayling for the other. Any photos of the Plain Tigers?

Misha

[Andrew Cunningham]

Morning,

Of course, I feel so stupid now! Thanks.

In the top right hand picture the black and white spot on the underside of the forewing has a secondary small white spot touching it. Is this an anomaly or a normal variation?

I will get some pics of the Plain Tigers.

Once again, thanks.

[Andrew Cunningham]

As promised, a picture of the Plain Tigers. They were widespread on the coast. This picture was from the Ebro Delta.

[Mikhail]

Those Tigers are superb. I've never seen the species in Europe, only at Sharjah in the Gulf. The extra spot on the Small Heath is not too unusual. This type of variation occurs in many of the "browns".

Misha

[Andrew Cunningham]

Misha, thanks. I played around with various apertures but thought the one at the back being out of focus was one of the better ones. Also thanks for explaining the extra spot in the browns.