Barcelona

[Butterfly Gardener]

Not knowing much about butterflies outside of the UK I wonder if anyone could tell me which species, if any, are common in the City of Barcelona? I ask because I am due to go there in mid-April to do a study of urban green space and it seems like a good opportunity to broaden my horizons.

[David M]

Don't know much about butterflies in Barcelona, but watch out for the sizeable colonies of wild parrots (they're particularly numerous near the Barcelona zoo).

[Sylvie_h]

I was in Barcelona in October last year for business. I had a few hours free and found a good area near the Exhibition and international Conference Center on the beach front where the pier starts and near the car park.
There were still a lot of flowers around (mainly of the mustard sort) which attracted a good number of long tailed blues, painted ladies and humming bird hawkmoths.
I wanted to go to the park of Montjuic but did not find the time. It may be worth exploring for butterflies. If you have the chance and time to rent a car, then the surrounding countryside will be worth exploring.
As David mentioned there are a lot of parots around making a lot of noise so easily spotted.
Have fun,
Sylvie

[Padfield]

I pass through Barcelona most years on my way to the Spanish Pyrenees. Geranium bronzes are quite common in the city and can be seen almost anywhere, but mostly near green, flowery spaces. One place I regularly see them is in the region of the Arc de Triomf (the nearest metro station to the north bus station, from where buses leave for the Pyrenees) and in the nearby park.

I've seen long-tailed blues on green space near the north bus station too.

Other than those two species I've only noticed urban things like whites and painted ladies (which reach everywhere in Spain) during my brief transits.

Guy

[Mikhail]

In late May 1979 I saw the Spanish subspecies beckeri of the Marsh Fritillary on the lower slopes of Tibidabo hill, overlooking the city. You may be a bit early for them, assuming they're still there, but the larvae can be conspicuous on bushy honeysuckles.

Misha

[David M]

My God! Is that really a Marsh Fritillary?

[Butterfly Gardener]

Thanks everyone.