Butterflies

Portugal Wildlife

Guide to the Butterflies of a Wildlife Reserve in Baixo Alentejo

All Photographs were taken by the website author on the reserve unless otherwise stated.

Species	Photographs	Photographs	Photographs
Swallowtail Papilio machaon Cauda de andorinha




Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius feisthamelii Borboleta Zebra	Male, showing greyish-white upperside ground colour (female shows faint yellow flush).

Spanish Festoon Zerynthia rumina Borboleta carnaval		On Brassica sp. flower.


Large White Pieris brassicae Borboleta das couves	Large White feeding on Rosemary.	Large White feeding on Yellow Fleabane.
Small White Pieris rapae Borboleta pequena das couves	Small White feeding on Sweet Scabious.

	Small White feeding on Limestone Lettuce.
Bath White Pontia daplidice Borboleta branca e verde	Bath White feeding on Yellow Fleabane.

Western Dappled White Euchloe crameri Esverdeada dos nabais
	Feeding on Wild Radish.	Feeding on flower of a Brassica species.
Green Striped White Euchloe belemia Branca de riscas verdes


Clouded Yellow Colias crocea Maravilha	Clouded Yellow feeding on Common Heliotrope.		Male in flight - showing some of upper wing.



False Ilex Hairstreak Satyrium esculi Esculi

Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi Rubi		Green Hairstreak showing upper wing colours - with Honey Bee in foreground.
	Green Hairstreak with Honey Bee in foreground.
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas Acobreada	Male - with very bright upper wings.		Female - with much darker upper wings.
	Small Copper feeding on Dusky Dogfennel flower.
	Male showing Hindwing 'Tail' nicely - this feature is less prominent in females.	Food plants of the Small Copper caterpillars: Rumex acetosa and R. acetosella
		Small Copper (right) with two Southern Brown Argus butterflies (left)

Longtailed Blue Lampides boeticus Azulinha			Interestingly it is thought that 'tailed' butterflies wiggle their 'tails' to focus a predatory bird's attack site to the 'tail' rather than any vital parts. Thus allowing the butterfly to escape. As a result a lot of these butterflies have damage wings where their 'tails' used to be.

Lang's Shorttailed Blue Leptotes pirithous Cinzentinha
	European Mantis hunting a Lang's Short-tailed Blue.	Courtship behaviour.	Courtship behaviour.
	Courtship behaviour.	Female.	Male.
	Male.
Southern Brown Argus Aricia cramera Borboleta	Male.	Male.



Common Blue Polyommatus icarus Azul comum	Male.	Male.	Male.
	Male feeding on nectar from Common Heliotrope flowers.		Male.
	Male.	Male.	Two males.
	Male.	Two males.	Male.
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta Almirante vermelho


Painted Lady Vanessa cardui Bela Dama	Painted Lady feeding on Corn Marigold.		Thistles, such as this Purple Milk Thistle, are important nectar sources as well as larval host plants for Painted Lady butterflies.
	A Painted Lady basking in the January sunshine.

Spanish Marbled White Melanargia ines Melanargia mediterrânica	Male Spanish Marbled White.
	Male.
Tree Grayling Neohipparchia statilinus Preta comum
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina hispulla Loba	Meadow Brown feeding on Sweet Scabious.	Upperwings of Male Meadow Brown.
	Female Meadow Brown showing small part of Upperwing which is much brighter in colour than that of males.	Female Meadow Brown.	Female.
	Male.	Male.
Southern Gatekeeper Pyronia cecilia Guarda portões menor	Male.	Female.	Female.
	Male Southern Gatekeeper. The conspicuous patch of dark markings on the Upperwing are known as a sex brand which is a grouping of androconia. Androconia are specialized wing scales of male butterflies that possess gland cells containing chemicals that attract female butterflies. In this species the sex brand is broken by distinctive orange veins.	Male.
	Male.	Female.	Female.
	Female.		Female.
	Female.	Female.	Male with scales well worn.
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus Nêspera

Red Underwing Skipper Spialia sertorius Axadrezada comum	Red Underwing Skipper feeding on Sweet Scabious.
Sage Skipper Muschampia proto Axadrezada mediterrânica
False Mallow Skipper Carcharodus tripolinus Axadrezada do Sul
		The recently described False Mallow Skipper is virtually identical to the Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae). This species may also occur in this part of Portugal. So it could be that this butterfly is a Mallow Skipper and not a False Mallow Skipper. But its location does support the identification of False Mallow Skipper.
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris Hesperídeo laranja antenas vermelhas	Small Skipper feeding on European Umbrella Milkwort.	Small Skipper feeding on Sweet Scabious.
	The orange colouration on the antennae is characteristic.

Butterfly Species List :

	English Name	Scientific Name	Portuguese Name	Examples of Food Plants of Caterpillars (Not all yet recorded on the reserve)

1	Swallowtail	Papilio machaon	Cauda de andorinha	Umbellifers (Apiaceae) - especially Fennel
2	Scarce Swallowtail	Iphiclides podalirius feisthamelii	Borboleta Zebra	Almond (Prunus dulcis) and Pears (Pyrus spp.)
3	Spanish Festoon	Zerynthia rumina	Borboleta carnaval	Aristolochias such as Andalusian Dutchman´s Pipe (Aristolochia baetica)
4	Large White	Pieris brassicae	Borboleta das couves	Brassicas
5	Small White	Pieris rapae	Borboleta pequena das couves	Brassicas, Weld (Reseda luteola)
6	Bath White	Pontia daplidice	Borboleta branca e verde	Crucifers, Weld (Reseda luteola)
7	Western Dappled White	Euchloe crameri	Esverdeada dos nabais	Brassicas
8	Green Striped White	Euchloe belemia	Branca de riscas verdes	Crucifers, (Brassica & Diplotaxis spp.)
9	Clouded Yellow	Colias crocea	Maravilha	Various (Fabaceae/Leguminosae) such as Trefoils (Lotus spp.)
10	False Ilex Hairstreak	Satyrium esculi	Esculi	Oaks (Quercus sp.) including Sweet Oak (Quercus rotundifolia) our dominant tree species
11	Green Hairstreak	Callophrys rubi	Rubi	Various Leguminosae such as species of Broom (Cytisus & Genista)
12	Small Copper	Lycaena phlaeas	Acobreada	Sheep's Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) and other (Rumex spp.)
13	Longtailed Blue	Lampides boeticus	Azulinha	Pea (Lathrys) and Broom (Cytisus)
14	Lang's Shorttailed Blue	Leptotes pirithous	Cinzentinha	Fabaceae or Pea Family
15	Southern Brown Argus	Aricia cramera	Borboleta	Cranesbills (Geranium spp.) and Storksbills (Erodium spp.)
16	Common Blue	Polyommatus icarus	Azul comum	Various (Fabaceae/Leguminosae) such as (Ononis, Trifolium, Lotus)
17	Red Admiral	Vanessa atalanta	Almirante vermelho	Various Nettles (Urticaceae) - (Urtica & Parietaria spp.)
18	Painted Lady	Vanessa cardui	Bela Dama	Various Thistles and Mallows (Asteraceae & Malvaceae) (e.g. Malva spp.)
19	Spanish Marbled White	Melanargia ines	Melanargia mediterrânica	Various Grasses such as (Brachypodium spp.)
20	Tree Grayling	Neohipparchia statilinus	Preta comum	Various Grasses such as (Bromus erectus)
21	Meadow Brown	Maniola jurtina	Loba	Various Grasses including Carpet Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera)
22	Southern Gatekeeper	Pyronia cecilia	Guarda portões menor	Grasses, possibly including Tufted Hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa)
23	Small Heath	Coenonympha pamphilus	Nêspera	Grasses including Matgrass (Nardus stricta)
24	Red Underwing Skipper	Spialia sertorius	Axadrezada comum	Various plants including Sanguisorba, Rubus and Potentilla.
25	Sage Skipper	Muschampia proto	Axadrezada mediterrânica	Various species of Mallow - Malva sp
26	False Mallow Skipper	Carcharodus tripolinus	Axadrezada do Sul	Various species of Mallow - e.g. Malva sylvestris
27	Small Skipper	Thymelicus sylvestris	Hesperídeo laranja antenas vermelhas	Various Grasses such as (Holcus spp.)