Greenwings: Pyrenées Orientales, 26 May - 1 June 2022

[David M]

Thanks, Phil. The habitat images are as important as the butterfly ones. Always good to know what butterflies are flying and where.

[David M]

Hesperiidae

An excellent range seen within this group, although several were only seen in low single figures.

Oberthur's:

Safflower:

Olive:

1. Mallow Skipper
2. Tufted Marbled Skipper
3. Dingy Skipper
4. Small Skipper
5. Large Skipper
6. Lulworth Skipper
7. Large Grizzled Skipper
8. Olive Skipper
9. Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper
10. Safflower Skipper
11. Southern Grizzled Skipper
12. Red Underwing Skipper

[David M]

Lycaenidae - Blues

The usual treasure trove.

Mating Chequered Blues was something I hadn't seen before:

Amanda's Blue is always a welcome addition:

A few Provençal Short Tailed Blues were seen:

The occasional Mazarine Blue kept us entertained:

[David M]

Lycaenidae - Coppers and Hairstreaks

A little underwhelming on this front. Aside from Violet Copper, only Sooty, Small and Purple Shot were recorded, and only my co-guide, Jon, and I saw the solitary Purple Shot.

Plenty of Green Hairstreaks at altitude, and False Ilex were commonplace at Força Real, but no Sloe Hairstreaks were seen and only small numbers of Blue Spot & Ilex.

[David M]

Lycaenidae

13. Brown Argus
14. Provençal Short Tailed Blue
15. Holly Blue
16. Small Blue
17. Osiris Blue
18. Mazarine Blue
19. Green Underside Blue
20. Lang's Short Tailed Blue
21. Long Tailed Blue
22. Provence Chalkhill Blue
23. Baton Blue
24. Silver Studded Blue
25. Escher's Blue
26. Amanda's Blue
27. Adonis Blue
28. Turquoise Blue
29. Common Blue
30. Chapman's Blue
31. Chequered Blue
32. Small Copper
33. Violet Copper
34. Purple Shot Copper
35. Sooty Copper
36. Green Hairstreak
37. Ilex Hairstreak
38. False Ilex Hairstreak
39. Blue Spot Hairstreak

[David M]

Pieridae

Black Veined Whites were ridiculously common this year, with many, many hundreds seen:

Cleopatras were rather scarce though, with most of the 30 or so seen being in a quarry near Sournia:

40. Orange Tip
41. Provence Orange Tip
42. Black Veined White
43. Berger's Clouded Yellow
44. Clouded Yellow
45. Cleopatra
46. Brimstone
47. Wood White
48. Large White
49. Small White
50. Green Veined White
51. Bath White

[David M]

Papilionidae

Another first for this tour was seeing both forms of Scarce Swallowtail. Feisthameli appeared in lowish numbers in Pyrenées Orientales, and I also saw a solitary podalirius on the day we ventured north into the Aude departement.

Given the early season, Spanish Festoons were thin on the ground, whilst Clouded Apollos probably numbered no more than 40.

Gorganus Swallowtails were seen in numbers hilltopping at Força Real, whilst the odd one could be relied upon to turn up almost anywhere else.

52. Spanish Festoon
53. Iberian Scarce Swallowtail
54. Scarce Swallowtail
55. Swallowtail
56. Apollo
57. Clouded Apollo

[David M]

Nymphalidae - Fritillaries

Always a good range of these on this trip, the most sought after being Cardinal, which we saw in greater numbers than usual:

There were plenty of Spotted Fritillaries:

The two-tone colours of Knapweed Fritillary are always eye-catching:

The delicate Meadow Fritillary was seen in decent numbers:

58. Cardinal
59. Provençal Fritillary
60. Weaver's Fritillary
61. Pearl Bordered Fritillary
62. Marsh Fritillary
63. Queen of Spain Fritillary
64. Heath Fritillary
65. False Heath Fritillary
66. Glanville Fritillary
67. Meadow Fritillary
68. Spotted Fritillary
69. Knapweed Fritillary

[David M]

Nymphalidae - Aristocrats

After Two Tailed Pasha, the next most exciting member of this group to turn up was a Large Tortoiseshell on the final day. A few Southern White Admirals appeared here and there but no Camberwells this year, sadly:

70. Two Tailed Pasha
71. Small Tortoiseshell
72. Large Tortoiseshell
73. Comma
74. Peacock
75. Southern White Admiral
76. Red Admiral
77. Painted Lady

[David M]

Nymphalidae - Satyrids

Only two Spanish Gatekeepers were seen on the tour aside from the morning we visited Força Real, where there were literally thousands of them:

Western Marbled Whites were also only seen at the lower level sites nearer to Perpignan:

The Speckled Woods are particularly brown in these parts:

Quite a few De Prunner's Ringlets above 1,000m:

Due to the early season we also saw more Bright Eyed Ringlets than we normally do:

A mating pair of Dusky Heaths at the top of Força Real were the only ones seen, and we also had a big shock in the same spot when an extremely early Great Banded Grayling appeared:

78. Pearly Heath
79. Dusky Heath
80. Small Heath
81. Large Wall Brown
82. Wall Brown
83. Spanish Gatekeeper
84. Meadow Brown
85. Western Marbled White
86. Speckled Wood
87. Great Banded Grayling
88. Bright-Eyed Ringlet
89. De Prunner's Ringlet

[selbypaul]

Cheers as ever David for the comprehensive write up. Such a great trip. Two weeks on, I'm still looking back fondly on such a lovely week.

[David M]

Thank you, Paul. Seems like a lifetime ago following all that's happened since!

[David M]

Riodinidae

A handful of Dukes turned up here and there, though we usually see many more on this trip.

90. Duke of Burgundy