butterflies in mallorca

martin bevan · Post by **martin bevan** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 1:19 pm

hello i of to mallorca shortly and i was wonder in what butterflies i may see . any help would be great thanks.

Matsukaze · Post by **Matsukaze** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:43 pm

I was there this spring; I think the butterfly list was not spectacular (compared with mainland Spain at any rate) but included Scarce Swallowtail and Two-tailed Pasha, which were obviously not flying at the time we were there but might well be when you are.

martin bevan · Post by **martin bevan** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:09 am

thank you matsukaze for the information and any one of these butterflies would be great. cheers

Cotswold Cockney · Post by **Cotswold Cockney** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:55 pm

martin bevan wrote:thank you matsukaze for the information and any one of these butterflies would be great. cheers

If neither are flying ( between broods) look for the ova or larvae on their foodplants. Charaxes jasius uses Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) and I.podalirius uses ornamental cherries on some of the Med-Islands. The larvae of the Two Tailed Pasha are very impressive and distinctive. Until I destroyed it at the bottom of my garden to make way for a double garage, I had a massive Arbutus unedo on which I reared many C.jasius as I paired some in capativity. It's a fine ornamental garden shrub small tree and will flower in Autumn right through to January some seasons. I often used to see late Red Admirals feeding from its flowers even in late December on the occasional fine sunny winter days. The flowers can be pink or white and remind me of Lily of the Valley. I now have a single potted A.unedo two metres tall in a large pot on my patio. I planted two bushes in my 'reserve' some years ago but they are slow growing and not thriving there, unlike the rampant trees in my Gloucester garden did. Unsuitable soil I guess.