Apatura Species Range into Spain?

[lepidofrance]

Lubéron ? On the Mourre Negre Mountain (1300 m asl), the Parnassius apollo colony is so small and fragile that even without considering regulations to protect the species, it would be killer to capture a single butterfly. We can only watch, admire and photograph!

I went, I saw Parnassius apollo, I photographed (at the time I had no digital camera: only slides).

[wollastoni]

Yes on the Mt Mourre Negre, they are huge, very impressive. Did not see many for sure !

[irisscientist]

Dear Quintin,

M.G. Pennington, observed (and recorded) a male Apatura iris in the village of Banos de Montemayor "on the edge of the Sierra de Candelario, near Bejar in the province of Salamanca" on the 22nd July in 1985. Full records of his observation were made in an article published in the Entomologist's Gazette with the following reference details:

M.G. Pennington “A Sighting of Apatura iris (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Central Spain”, Entomologist's Gazette, Vol.49 (1998) pp244.

Friedrich (Ekkehard) in his definative "Die Schillerfalter" text, also detailed the distribution of both Apatura iris and Apatura ilia as having isolated pockets of both species in both Spain and Portugal. A similar (but slightly different) distribution for both species has also more recently (2011) been published in the equally excellent text by Masui, Bozano and Floriani (Nymphalidae part IV, Subfamily Apaturinae: Guide to Butterflies of the Palearctic Region).

In answer to your question therefore, it would appear that certain species of the Apatura subfamily (namely iris and ilia) do appear to be found within certain regions of both Spain and also Portugal.

I hope this answers your question,


Mark

[fred2802]

What is the distribution of Apatura ilia barcina ? Are all ilia from Spain barcina or is it localised ?

[irisscientist]

The short answer to your main question is yes, 'Barcina' are localised to Barcelona (area), from where their name 'Barcina' was derived. Original reference (Verity, 1927) can be read here:

gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5552015n/f239.image.r=apatura.langEN

The relevant text is located at the bottom of the linked page and continues on the next. The sub-species was more recently described by Masui (2011), from where I quote the following:

"ssp. barcina Verity, 1927
Apatura ilia barcina Verity, 1927, Bull. Soc. ent. Fr. 1927: 176
Type locality: S. -Antoni de Villamajor (Barcelone) [Barcelona, Spain]
= Apatura ilia barcina margheritae Manley, 1972, Ent. Gaz. 23:82 [IFS]
Type locality: Olat, Gerona, Spain
= Apatura ilia barcina ganzoi Agenjo, 1973, Graellsia 26:21 [IFS]
Type locality: Vall de Vyana [Gerona, Spain]
Male usually larger than ssp. albatheia;
Female often larger than both ssp. albatheia and nominotypical ilia;
both sexes almost only f.ilia, seldom with the light markings yellow-orange (f. marguerite = ganzoi, equivalent to f. clytie);
uph white discal band inner margin convex (inner margin concave in nominotypical ilia) and wider than ssp. albatheia."

Basically the sub-species appears to be localised to Barcelona and it's close proximity (Girona). The sub-species is identified through the enlargement of the white banding on the upper hind wing. The answer to your other more generic question however, is No. Most of the A.ilia in Spain are standard A.ilia, although similar with other populations of these species, clytie is also quite prevalent.

I hope this answers your question?


Mark

[jildertraul]

Is there someone who's experienced with collecting in the Sierra Nevada region? If yes, which species are (abundant) there?