David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
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Butterflies 79 – Spanish Gatekeepers
SPANISH GATEKEEPER BUTTERFLY Pyronia
bathsheba (f)
SPANISH GATEKEEPER BUTTERFLY Pyronia
bathsheba (f)
SPANISH GATEKEEPER BUTTERFLY Pyronia
bathsheba (f)
·
This female Spanish Gatekeeper Butterfly Pyronia bathsheba
feeding on Lavender Lavandula sp. was the only example of her
species to have been seen during a visit to the Ardèche region
of southern France. This butterfly is found in Iberia (other than the extreme
north), the South of France and North Africa. All parts of its range overlap
either with that of the Southern Gatekeeper P. cecilia
or the Gatekeeper P. tithonus and
on the Iberian Peninsula and in the South of France all three species may be
present together. Fortunately for those observers trying to separate them, each
of these butterflies possesses at least one clearly visible characteristic that
distinguishes it from the others – in the case of the Spanish Gatekeeper there
are conspicuous pale bands on the undersides of the hindwings. These obvious
markings (they are less extensive in the slightly smaller males), and clearly
defined ocelli should enable this butterfly to be separated from the other Pyronia species.
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