Greenwings: Montes Universales, Spain, 28 July - 4 August 2018

[David M]

The Reserva Nacional de Montes Universales is an infrequently visited part of western Europe, but having just returned from a week's visit there, I would encourage anyone to consider travelling here for a variety of reasons.

The region is in central-eastern Spain between Teruel and Cuenca and reaches just under 2,000m in altitude. Whilst much of it is quite arid, and certainly unlike both the Alps & Pyrenees in its flora, it is possible to find areas of quite astonishing butterfly richness.

Much of the lowland is used for arable farming, with a good deal of the higher ground populated by arid scrub, poplars, junipers and pine forest. However, if one concentrates on the locations where rivers course through the valleys, there is a spellbinding variety of butterfly species, with some to be seen nowhere else in the world, let alone in Spain.

Of course, Spain is relatively cheap, and this region particularly so. Food & drink cost what they did in the UK 10-15 years ago, with a three course meal coming to about 16 Euros, a bottle of wine 6 Euros and a pint of beer 2.5 Euros! Similarly, accommodation prices are vastly cheaper than, say, in France, with a single room in a hotel being around 40-50 Euros per night.

[David M]

Here's a sample of the local scenery:

[John Vergo]

Hi David
Looking forward to see more from that area
john

[David M]

There are several very precious butterfly species in this region, perhaps none more so than Zapater's Ringlet.

This, like Scotch Argus in the UK, is a 'back end' of summer species, and we weren't sure whether we'd see it on this trip.

Thankfully, we saw two on Day 5 of the trip, although they were mere 'fly-bys', with neither settling. We revisited the same site the next day, and we were fortunate enough to see one when getting out of the vehicle. It fluttered around a water hole, settling briefly, but it was constantly being disturbed by bees taking fluids around the same pool, and consequently didn't feel comfortable.

That said, it alighted fairly briefly on some scrub nearby, allowing us to get a few record shots of this iconic butterfly with one of the most restricted ranges in the world.

Record shot mud puddling:

Underside view:

A quick 'grab' of the upperside during the short time it rested:

[David M]

Erebia

1. Zapater's Ringlet

[David M]

There were some very interesting lycaenids flying in this region. The first one we encountered was Oberthur's Anomalous Blue, a Spanish endemic whose range is restricted to the north east of the country.

They were pretty common and could be seen practically everywhere, often in numbers:

Here's one taking to the air in the company of another highly desirable member of this family, Mother of Pearl Blue:

[petesmith]

Interesting stuff David! This is another region on my hit list - hopefully one day...
Congratulations on Zapater's, look forward to the rest of your report!

[David M]

Thanks, Pete. Yes, you must get yourself there. It really is quite eye-opening.

Mother of Pearl Blue is a virtual Spanish endemic, with a few records from the French side of the Pyrenees. Its undersides closely resemble those of Turquoise Blue, and it behaves in much the same way, often sticking religiously to the dry, stony tracks and the sparse vegetation found there.

Its upperside is extremely pale however, and there can be no mistaking the males:

Differentiating the females from dorylas is rather trickier though. Given that only a small number of Turquoise Blues were seen, I strongly suspect this is a female nivescens:

Unless these two species can hybridise, then this is a pair of nivescens as the male on the right was most definitely Mother of Pearl, and I assume he can recognise the female of his species:

[essexbuzzard]

The females are remarkably similar, David. Trawling through my books, I really can’t see much difference. But I assume they can!

[David M]

You'd hope so, Mark!

Given their close relationship though, I do wonder if nivescens and dorylas can interbreed like coridon and bellargus.

[NickMorgan]

I was delighted to see Mother-of-pearl Blues for the first time this year in the Sierra Nevada.
I am looking forward to the rest of your report. All of our holidays have been to Southern Spain and now that the kids are grown up I think that I should be able to persuade my wife that there is a lot more interesting country further north in Spain!

[David M]

Persuade away as much as you can, Nick, for this region is spectacular, and not only will you enjoy it from a general perspective, you will also see several species that can't be found anywhere else!

[David M]

Spanish Chalkhill Blue was seen in decent numbers. It is very large and very pale but otherwise behaves similarly to coridon.

Here's an upperside:

....and an underside:

[David M]

The taxonimists have been busy over the last few years, and one species that has been declared definitively is Azure Chalkhill Blue or, if you want the latin name, polyommatus caelestissimus.

This beautiful insect delighted us for most of the week:

It didn't show very well until the third day, but afterwards probably 1,000+ were seen, with it being the 'default' mud-puddler in many locations.

[David M]

There were several other interesting lycaenids flying. One I didn't even know about was aricia cramera - Southern Brown Argus.

This insect is like our own Brown Argus but darker in ground colour with bolder fringes:

The montensis form of Mountain Argus was also seen at 1,800m, whilst Chapman's Blue, Long Tailed and Lang's Short Tailed Blue also provided interesting distractions.

On the Hairstreak front, a few fading Ilex and Sloe were seen, along with the occasional Blue-Spot, but the most satisfying moment came when I saw Spanish Purple Hairstreak for only the second time:

[David M]

Lycaenids

2. Small Copper
3. Purple-Shot Copper
4. Spanish Purple Hairstreak
5. Blue Spot Hairstreak
6. Sloe Hairstreak
7. Ilex Hairstreak
8. Long-Tailed Blue
9. Lang's Short-Tailed Blue
10. Holly Blue
11. Silver Studded Blue
12. Southern Brown Argus
13. Mountain Argus
14. Turquoise Blue
15. Mother of Pearl Blue
16. Chapman's Blue
17. Common Blue
18. Adonis Blue
19. Azure Chalkhill Blue
20. Spanish Chalkhill Blue
21. Oberthur's Anomalous Blue
22. Damon Blue
23. Escher's Blue
24. Mazarine Blue

[David M]

Satyrids - Graylings

When in the French Alps & Pyrenees, I tend not to see too many Graylings, so it was quite an experience to find such a range of them and in such stratospheric numbers. Rock Graylings probably approached 20,000 during the week; they were everywhere and there were times they were dancing all around you (and occasionally alighting on the body).

Great Banded Graylings weren't far behind, with 10,000+ observed. This imposing satyrid was found just about everywhere, and was an avid nectarer wherever there were flowering plants.

I don't tend to take many images of them as they generally pose with wings closed, however I noticed this one kept flicking its wings open whilst on thistles and eventually I managed to get an open-wing shot:

[David M]

Our own Grayling (semele) was also present in huge numbers, but there were others in this group to be found.

Striped Grayling, for instance, popped up quite regularly, which was nice because it is a stunningly marked butterfly on its undersides. Here's one in company with one of the many Dusky Heaths seen:

[John Vergo]

congrats with the open wing shot of B. circe that not an easy one to get

[David M]

Thanks, John. Yes, normally GBG open wing shots are impossible, but if you see several thousand of them then I suppose it's only a matter of time....

Satyrids - Graylings cont....

There were so many of this family, that I didn't realise Tree Graylings were amongst us until another member of the group pointed it out to me. I subsequently attuned my senses for their presence and ended up seeing quite a few:

However, I was well aware of a new species (and a lifer for me) when I came across my first False Grayling. This species is strongly attracted to humans and I couldn't shake this one off my arm:

They weren't at all uncommon, and I probably saw at least 100.