The Southern banded groundling – Brachythemis leucosticta is a small species with an overall body color that ranges from yellowish to blackish-brown. The face of young males and females is yellowish-cream, and the thorax and abdomen are yellow-greenish with noticeable brown or black marks. As they age, males become black, and females become brown.
Despite the drying up of the lagoons and marshes, the Andalusian PP (People’s Party) intends to move forward with the project to grant amnesty to illegal irrigation in the vicinity of the national park. The proposal, which the Andalusian government is trying to pass urgently, seeks to benefit a residual group of offenders who have been illegally exploiting water for years and do not represent the Andalusian agricultural sector at all. This measure could push the natural space to extinction. The heart of Doñana already meets the conditions to be declared at risk of disappearance.
Here is the petition to sigh: https://seoactua.org/peticion/donana/ (Its in Spanish but very simple to follow. Just add your name and email and thats it!)
The yellow carpenter bee – Xylocopa Pubescens is typically found in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, North Africa, and the Middle East, ranging from Cape Verde to South Asia. However, it has recently expanded its distribution to the Canary islands and mainland Spain. This species prefers relatively warm areas with a minimum temperature of 18 °C (64 °F) for foraging, so it is expected to be restricted to coastal and low altitude areas of Iberia.
One notable feature of Xylocopa pubescens is its strong sexual dimorphism. Females are black with bright yellow fur on their thorax, which is large and shiny black. On the other hand, males are smaller and distinguished by a narrow head and yellow pubescence that covers their entire bodies.
(Top image – Female Xylocopa pubescens – Author: Jan Richtr – https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxonimage/id109367/?taxonid=399701&type=1)
Parnassius apollo – Apollo – Apolo is a mountain species of butterfly that typically inhabits hills and flowery alpine meadows in continental European mountains, including Spain. This species requires specific climatic conditions, such as cold winters and sunny summers. It also prefers wide open spaces with less than 5% shrub cover and ample meadow surfaces of at least 50%. The presence of host plants for caterpillars is also crucial for its survival.