SPAIN EARLY 2014.

[LancsRover]

Thanks Guy, I think I know what you mean now, it says in my book by Haahtela,Saarinen,Ojalainen & Aarnio, that the black apical patch extends as far along outer margin as along costa in mannii, I didn't take that in before, is this the main(or easiest) difference between mannii and rapae?

Russ

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks for the explanations and the photos Guy.
Chris

[Padfield]

... the black apical patch extends as far along outer margin as along costa in mannii, I didn't take that in before, is this the main(or easiest) difference between mannii and rapae?

There are four differences:

1. Shape, size and jizz. Not very helpful ( ), but after a while you just recognise mannii.
2. The extent of the apical patch - typically it runs down the outer margin as far as the discal spot in mannii. This is a useful rule of thumb.
3. The density of dark scaling on the underside hindwing - uniform and dense in mannii, less uniform, with a distinct sparse patch associated with the cell, in rapae.
4. The fork in the v.7 of the underside forewing - present in rapae and napi, absent in mannnii.


(mannii)


(rapae/napi)

Apparently, the fork may occasionally be absent in rapae but its presence is supposed to rule out mannnii.

Guy

[LancsRover]

Thanks Guy for that info, I should be able to tell the difference now(I hope). Maybe I'll find a mannii now that I am north of Valencia?

Thanks also Chris, get out and about this weekend in the south of France for your year figs. good hunting.

Russ

[LancsRover]

Thursday, 6/3/14, Moncofa,
Sunny, 18C windy.

The weather has been either extremely windy or dull and overcast the past week.
I have had a couple of trips into the local hills but they are quite barren, very dry and very few flowers about, so today I got on my bike and cycled down a track north of the camp site.
The fields are ready to be planted with crops but there are a few white flowers around the edges and the only butterflies flying are whites, large, small and today I found 5/6 green-veined whites(see pics. below) they seem slightly different than their English cousins, maybe the veins have more black on them?

Russ.

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Russ,
I will be looking out for Green-veined Whites at lunchtime today as it should be reaching 19°C in the South of France. I don't know if there is a regional variation in markings of GVWs - could be seasonal I guess ?
Cheers, Chris

Saturday 8th : I've looked in my Tolman & Lewington and the 1st brood is effectively shown with darker vein markings.
Chris

[LancsRover]

Saturday 8.3.14. Sunny 17C.
Alcossebre.

Arrived today, I managed 30 minutes on some scrub land just south of our camp site.
I only saw a very small blue b/f., flying very low to the ground, landing on the same, but keeping it's wings open, making it difficult to get a underside shot.
I think it could be a BATON BLUE or a PANOPTES BLUE, what do you think?

Cheers Russ

[Padfield]

That'll be panoptes, from the distribution. It's early!

Guy

[LancsRover]

Sunday 9.3.14. Sunny, 18c
Alcossebre.
I walked around the scrub land just south of our camp site, it's rough rocky ground with shrubs of various heights, a few patches of dry grass and very few wild flowers.
I spotted 6 or 7 Green Hairstreak, 3 or 4 Holly Blues and 3/4 of a Speckled Wood(hindwing missing), no sign of my Panoptres Blue from yesterday.
It was good to see the G/H again, I didn't see any in 2013 due to the poor spring last year.
The H/B's were whizzing around the tops of the shrubs, making photograph difficult but I managed one pic.
Cheers Russ

[LancsRover]

Monday 10/3/14. Sunny 18c
Alcossebre.
Late afternoon visit to the scrub land south of our camp site, very warm out of the sea breeze.
Only 3 or 4 Green H/S seen, 2 or 3 Walls, and I found what was probably the same Panoptes Blue, as before, in the same area. This time I managed a photo of the underside as well as the upperside, it really is a very small b/f and beautiful too.

Cheers Russ

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Russ,
Your Green Hairstreak, Holly Blue and Wall Brown sightings are very much in phase with the early species I have been seeing over my way recently.
You are just in the right place to see the Panoptes Blue (its cousin, the Baton Blue, exists near me but it doesn't have that darker upperside submarginal band).
I'm trying to get to know Mediterranean coastal and scrub plants a bit, so the photos in your previous post are giving me the chance to express my amateur talents:
photos 2 and 7 : Pistacia lentiscus (Mastic tree)
photos 4 and 5 : Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary), obviously
photo 3 : Cistus monspeliensis (Montpellier cistus - a species of rockrose)
photo 6 : Quercus coccifera (Kermes oak)
We're still waiting for a photo of your elusive Swallowtail
Cheers, Chris

[LancsRover]

Hi Chris, Yeah I'm still looking for my swallowtails , getting more & more envious of yours .
I will send you a few tests on your shrubs/flowers soon?

Cheers Russ

[LancsRover]

Tuesday 11.3.14. sunny 17c.
On an organised walk mainly on the coastal road, I spotted a couple of Large Blues(?), I managed 2 shots before they disappeared into the scrub, I didn't have any time to stop so I will have another look for some better pics. when the weather improves, cloudy/rain last couple of days.
Cheers Russ

[Padfield]

Hi Russ. That's a female Lang's short-tailed blue. She's a beautiful specimen - I hope you get good photographs of her or her equal when the weather improves!

Guy

[Chris Jackson]

What type of camera do you use Russ? The colours of that LSTB are quite intense.
Chris

[Padfield]

In response to a post Chris made and then had second thoughts about ( ), in which he expressed surprise at my ID, this does seem to be an aberrant pirithous. I made my last post from the train, between butterfly stops, and while I think I was right, I can't now find a single picture online without a strong discal spot. I really can't see any alternative to pirithous, and everything else is good - including the tail spots, the hint of a tail and the curve of the pd spots. Interesting butterfly!

Guy

[Chris Jackson]

Guy,
I was a little taken aback by the contrast in Russ's photos and my first thought also was Large Blue. I'm used to seeing these colours in pirithous female:

But you're right, there is a hint of a tail.
Chris

[Matsukaze]

I'll be over in southern Spain in about a month. Does Desert Orange-tip occur within easy reach of Malaga? Are there any reliable sites for it?

[Padfield]

I'll be over in southern Spain in about a month. Does Desert Orange-tip occur within easy reach of Malaga? Are there any reliable sites for it?

Apparently it does: http://mariposasdemalaga.webnode.es/alb ... agore-jpg/

Guy

[LancsRover]

Thanks Guy/Chris for your comments, I'm having trouble with the internet on this camp site in the evenings.
I'm going back to the area tomorrow, I'll be in touch.
Cheers Russ