Euchloe bazae ¦ Spanish Greenish Black Tip ¦ euroButterflies

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Euchloe bazae

Spanish Greenish Black Tip

euroButterflies

by Matt Rowlings

Andalucia, Spain, April 2009

Andalucia, Spain, April 2009

Field notes and information

Until only recently this species was considered a subspecies of the greenish black tip, E. charlonia, found just over the Mediterranean in north Africa. It is extremely local and inhabits infrequently visited regions so it is unlikely to be discovered without actively searching for it.

I failed twice to find this species, once in the north in early May which seems to confirm that there is not a second brood (or it is very scarce) and once in the south of Spain in mid May when I must have been just too early for the second brood. Third time lucky in early April in the south.

Identification & Similar species: No similar species occur in Spain, although it is conceivable that the Greenish Black Tip, E charlonia , may occasionally cross the Mediterranean from Morocco - I have no information to suggest this has ever been recorded.

Distribution & Flight: Known only from two very restricted areas in Spain - one area north of the Sierra Nevada in the south, the other south of the town of Lleida in the northeast.

In the north it appears to be single brooded peaking in March and occasionally recorded in May. In the south it is double brooded in March/ early April and again in the second half of May when butterflies are said to be larger than the first generation.

Habitat & Behaviour: Dry, sparsely vegetated hills and gulleys. From my 2009 experience of this species in the south, it flies widely and purposefully across extensive areas but shows a tendency to follow prominent geological features such as ridges. It also hilltops, often for long periods.

Variation: Two subspecies are usually recognised. iberae: northern populations (Lleida). bazae: southern populations (Baza).