www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi all,

Any ideas on these? All taken in South East Spain, between 25th Sept and 1st Oct.

Common Blue, a Spanish form? It had more orange on the underwings, a thicker black border with black going into the blue and hind wing spots on the upperside. It seems to resemble f. boalensis ?
Are any of these Southern Small White?
Mediterranean Skipper (male)?
Pygmy Skippy (male)?
Pygmy Skipper (female)?
Unknown Skipper? It could be one of the above but looks a little bit golden...
Mallow Skipper?
And finally, a couple of moths. A Lappet and a funky Burnet?
Thanks

Lee

Hi Lee.

The common blue is a common blue, as you thought. That form is quite typical in southern Spain, with rather dark margins.

I can't see southern small white in any of those pictures, but males are harder than females from the underside. The most convincing is the second one, though I can't see anything to prove it is mannii, and my instinct is that it is not. If you want to confirm a second brood southern small white it is best to find a female, as these are easily identifiable even in flight, with their very dark wing-tips:



If your original pictures are good enough, look at the underside wing tips for the presence or absence of a fork in v.7. If there is a fork it is definitely small white. Other things to look for are dense, even scaling on the underside hindwing. Of yours, only the second picture shows anything like what you see in mannii, though the scaling is admittedly lighter in later broods.

I'm inclined towards Mediterranean skipper for all the Gegenes pictures. None of them show any unh pale spots and several show the long cilia on the hindwing costa characteristic of nostrodamus (they are clearly visible on that nice female you tentatively labelled as pumilio). Don't take my word on that as being authoritative - some UK Butterflies members spend much more time (or live) in southern Spain.

Mallow skipper is definite (unless tripolinus, whose distribution is not perfectly known, flies that far east).

Guy

Many thanks Guy.

It was the second white that set me thinking. I thought I could see a concave costal mark on the hind wing and the uns scaling and ups wing tip seemed darker. The dark blob on the forewing is a little fly hitching a ride. If you're not sure I'll leave as rapae. I'll see if I can see any forks though.

Funnily enough the Skippers I was a little more convinced about. What I thought were male pumilio don't seem to show the costal cilia hairs while the females also have several upperside white markings where nostrodamus only has two? Also Tolman lists the forewing underside costal marks on the forewing as distinctive for pumilio and I think absent on nostrodamus. (I might be wrong on that point though as I'm at work and the book is at home).

I think you mean the second tentative female pumilio, I can see the hairs on that one now.

I've checked Matt Rowling's site and you're right, all of his pumilio have faint underside hind wing spots where mine do not...so more likely nostradamus .

Thanks again Guy.

Does anyone have any ideas on the moths?

Thanks

Lee

Hi Lee

The Burnet could be Zygaena carnioloca, apparently commonly known as the Blood Droplet Burnet.

Cheers

Paul

Thanks Paul