Elena and I picked up fellow naturalist Hans Borjesson who was in Nerja holidaying with his family. We drove to the top of Sierra Nevada above the ski resorts to look for the butterflies that abound up here in Summer, gradually working our way down ultimately to Guejar Sierra for some well earned refreshments.
Cleopatra
I post here a few of the better or more interesting shots from the day in which we picked up about 39 species. It was a lot of fun but I was surprised at how tired I became in the afternoon from scouring hillsides and regularly crouching down for close ups of the insects we encountered. I suspect also that the altitude and heat had something to do with it as well.
Brimstone
I start with a few of the yellow species for no particular reason other than they are some of my favourites, along with the Fritillaries that follow.
Clouded Yellow
Queen of Spain Fritillary
Queen of Spain Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
Cardinal Fritillary
Iberian Marbled White
Bath White
The photo below is a lifer for me so I was very pleased to see it. The Hermit is not the prettiest butterfly but it was the star of the day in my book. It's a species of grayling but not one I had come across before.
The Hermit
Adonis Blue
Silver-studded Blue
Purple-shot Copper
Common Blue
Small Copper
Silver-studded Blues
The Robber Fly is a voracious and lethal predator of other insects which it pounces upon in flight. The prey is immobilised by stabbing with the short strong proboscis and the injection of saliva containing neurotoxic enzymes which very rapidly paralyze the victim and digests the insides; the fly then sucks the liquefied material through the proboscis.
This Fly is seen here devouring an unlucky blue butterfly. The shot below shows the proboscis piercing the thorax of it's victim.
Robber Fly with butterfly prey
Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper
Spanish Gatekeeper
Small Skipper
