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Plebicula atlantica

Atlas Blue

Field Notes

Middle Atlas, Morocco, June 2005

Middle Atlas, Morocco, June 2005

High Atlas, Morocco, July 2005

Middle Atlas, Morocco, May 1998

Peter Rowlings

Middle Atlas, Morocco, May 1998

This is a local species found in the high hills and mountains of north Africa in Morocco and eastern Algeria. It resembles many of the European Plebicula but cannot be mistaken for anything else in Africa. We found it at two locations in the Middle Atlas where it was local and not common. We failed to confirm any females although we thought we saw one at the larger colony. We returned to both sites in September 2001 when a second brood is supposed to fly. We found nothing but dried up grass and dust at both sites (plus a few different species). However, in June 2005 a single male was found - perhaps representing the very very end of the first brood or a second brood. In July 2005 we found another small colony in the High Atlas mountains. Here we only found a few males too, one fresh and the rest very badly worn, possibly indicating overlapping broods?

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