Tag Archives: Butterflies in Spain

Small Copper – Lycaena phlaeas – Manto bicolor

  • Family: Lycaenidae
  • Scientific name: Lycaena phlaeas
  • English common name: Small Copper
  • Spanish common name: Manto bicolor
  • Portuguese common name: Acobreada

The Small Copper – Lycaena phlaeas – Manto bicolor is a fairly common small butterfly that flies low through meadows. Despite its small size it is easily seen due to the bright orange colours. The colours and patterns do vary through its range but generally he upper fore wings are a strong orange with black spots and a brown trim.

The upper hind wing is the reverse being brown with an orange band at the base. On the underside the fore wing is orange with black spots with a grey brown trim. The hind wing is more plain, grey / brown sometimes with a fine orange wavy line.

Small Copper - Lycaena phlaeas - Manto bicolor
Small Copper – Lycaena phlaeas – Manto bicolor

Some of the variations on the upper wings include; a sooty colour, blue / green sheen, blue spots near the rear orange band.

The caterpillars of this species grow to 1.5cm in length, they can be plain green or with pink stripes.

  • Wing size: 24-30mm
  • Altitude: 0-2400m
  • Flight time: May-October
  • Over-wintering: Caterpillar
  • Caterpillar food plant: Rumex (Dock and Sorrel)
  • Distribution: Widespread in Europe, north Africa

Similar species: Violet Copper (Lycaena helle) the upper wings have a violet sheen, the under side hind wing has black spots ringed in white

Butterflies of Iberia. These are included in the list of butterflies in Andalusia. Images taken in Andalucia, Southern Spain.


Ronda Today

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Red Admiral – Vanessa atalanta – Vanesa

  • Family: Nymphalidae
  • Scientific name: Vanessa atalanta
  • English common name: Red Admiral
  • Spanish common names: Vanesa /Numerada/Vanessa Atlanta
  • Portuguese common name: Almirante vermelho

The Red Admiral – Vanessa atalanta – Vanesa is a common butterfly and a strong migrant, even able to fly on rainy and cloudy days. Many head to northern Europe in the spring to breed, with the new generation then flying south to hibernate, but many of these don’t complete the journey and perish in the cold.

Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta - Vanesa
Red Admiral – Vanessa atalanta – Vanesa

It is a very dark species with striking red bands on the upper wings. The under side has similar but paler colours on the forewings whereas the hindwings are a dark marbling which offers good camouflage.
The adult feeds on nectar from a variety of flowers as well as juice from over ripe fruit.

The caterpillars of this species grow to 3.5cm long, they are hairy, mainly black with off white spots. They may wrap the nettle leaf around themselves as security.

  • Wing size: 56-63mm
  • Altitude: Sea level to 2500m
  • Flight time: May to October (Hibernating individuals may be seen flying on warm, sunny winter days in the south of their range)
  • Over-wintering: Adults hibernate
  • Caterpillar food plant: Nettle (Urtica)
  • Distribution: Europe and North Africa

Similar species: In the Canary Islands the “Canary Red Admiral” (Vanessa vulcania). (Previously thought to be “Indian red admiral” (Vanessa indica) but has been found to be a separate species).

Butterflies of Iberia. List of butterflies found in Andalusia. Images taken in Andalucia, Southern Spain.


Ronda Today

Everything you need to know before you visit Ronda “The city of dreams” in Andalucia. https://www.rondatoday.com/

The Caminito del Rey

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Wildside Holidays – Spain

Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies.

Iberia Nature Forum

Struggling with identifying those bugs and beasties? Why not check out the Iberia nature Forum!

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Purple Hairstreak – Neozephyrus quercus – Nazarena

  • Family: Lycaenidae
  • Scientific name: Neozephyrus quercus (Linnaeus 1758)
  • English common name: Purple Hairstreak
  • Spanish common name: Nazarena

The Purple Hairstreak – Neozephyrus quercus – Nazarena is fairly small butterfly that occasionally shows the upper wings, which in the males are iridescent purple, while those of the female are brown with a purple patch on the forewing. The under wings carry the characteristic white line of the hairstreaks on a grey ground colour. There are two orange spots on the hind wing edge, the upper one with a black centre. There are very short tail streamers.

Purple Hairstreak - Neozephyrus quercus - Nazarena
Purple Hairstreak – Neozephyrus quercus – Nazarena

The caterpillars of this species grow up to 2.5cm in length, they are mixed shades of brown with a darker dorsal line and prominent lateral ridges.

  • Wing size: 24-28mm
  • Altitude: Sea level to 2000m
  • Flight time: June-September
  • Over-wintering: Caterpillar
  • Caterpillar food plant: Oak (Quercus sp.)
  • Distribution: Most of Europe

Similar species: Spanish Purple Hairstreak (Laeosopis roboris) These lack the fine white lines and have a broad orange band on the wing edge, not the orange spots.

Butterflies of Iberia. These are included in the list of butterflies in Andalusia. Images taken in Andalucia, Southern Spain.


Ronda Today

Everything you need to know before you visit Ronda “The city of dreams” in Andalucia. https://www.rondatoday.com/

The Caminito del Rey

Find tickets for the Caminito del Rey: https://www.caminodelrey.es/

Wildside Holidays – Spain

Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies.

Iberia Nature Forum

Struggling with identifying those bugs and beasties? Why not check out the Iberia nature Forum!

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Provence Orange Tip – Anthocharis euphenoides- Puntaanaranjada Meridional

  • Family: Pieridae
  • Scientific name: Anthocharis euphenoides
  • English common name: Provence Orange Tip
  • Spanish common name: Puntaanaranjada Meridional

The Provence Orange Tip – Anthocharis euphenoides– Puntaanaranjada Meridional was previously known as the Moroccan orange tip (Anthocharis belia euphenoides)

Provence Orange Tip - Anthocharis euphenoides- Puntaanaranjada Meridional

It is a fairly small butterfly which seems to always be on the move, favouring hot, dry mountainous areas. The upper wings on the male are yellow with a large orange tip whereas the female is off-white and the smaller orange tip is dusted with black. The under side of the fore wings are very similar to the upper side, except that the very tip is yellow. The hind under wings of both sexes are a yellow ground colour with a mottled green marbling.

The caterpillars of this species grow up to 2.5cm long, they have a yellow dorsal stripe and the sides are white with a black speckled line.

  • Wing size: 36-40mm
  • Altitude: Sea level to 1800m
  • Flight time: March-June – single brood
  • Over-wintering: Chrysalis
  • Caterpillar food plant: Biscutella laevigata
  • Distribution: Spain, Portugal, southern France, parts of Italy and Switzerland
Provence Orange Tip - Anthocharis euphenoides- Puntaanaranjada Meridional
Provence Orange Tip – Anthocharis euphenoides- Puntaanaranjada Meridional

Similar species: Orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines).

Butterflies of Iberia. These are included in the list of butterflies in Andalusia. Images taken in Andalucia, Southern Spain.


Ronda Today

Everything you need to know before you visit Ronda “The city of dreams” in Andalucia. https://www.rondatoday.com/

The Caminito del Rey

Find tickets for the Caminito del Rey: https://www.caminodelrey.es/

Wildside Holidays – Spain

Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies.

Iberia Nature Forum

Struggling with identifying those bugs and beasties? Why not check out the Iberia nature Forum!

Discover the Iberia Nature Forum – Environment, geography, nature, landscape, climate, culture, history, rural tourism and travel.