A website dedicated to European Butterflies


Contact Me
Matt Rowlings

 

Home
Species Index
What's New
Season Blog 2008
Checklist 2008
Flowers & Orchids
Links
Photo Highlights
Cameras
Books etc
 
All contents and photographs copyright Matt Rowlings, ©2003-2008.
 
Photos: explicit permission must be obtained from Matt Rowlings for any use of any images from eurobutterflies.com.
 

 

Mail me to receive
"What's New" Update
e-mails

 

C. glycerion iphioides

Spanish Heath

Field Notes

Previous Next

 

Montes Universales, Spain, August 2003

 

Montes Universales, Spain, August 2003
 

Montes Universales, Spain, August 2003
 

Montes Universales, Spain, August 2003
 

Montes Universales, Spain, August 2003
 

Montes Universales, Spain, August 2003
 

Montes Universales, Spain, August 2003

 

Until recently this has been treated as a species in its own right - C. iphioides. Now it is treated as a subspecies of the more northern and eastern species C. glycerion. The similarities can be seen but it appears to be so different that it is surprising to think the two are merely subspecies.

It flies across northern Spain and just into France. From there there is a large distributional gap to eastern France where the nominate subspecies is found.

The photos sequence above shows a rather gruesome sequence of events. The Praying Mantis has taken the butterfly and I found it cutting into the thorax while the insect was still struggling weakly to escape. Clearly there was no possibility of a happy ending and gradually the butterfly succumbed. 

 

TOP