Powered by
TranslatePyronia batsheba
Pyronia batsheba (Fabricius, 1793) commonly known as The Spanish Gatekeeper
Family: Nymphalidae
Flight: Late April to early August (here in Alicante)
Wingspan:18 to 19 mm.
The Spanish Gatekeeper, is arguably the most attractive butterfly and less abundant in numbers, than the other three Gatekeeper species. Pyronia batsheba’s is found mainly in Spain (Iberian Peninsula, but missing at the northern end and northwest peninsular), Portugal, South of France and North Africa (mainly in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria).
Habitat: Rough grasslands and scrub land, (favouring sites with good bush/bramble covered vegetation) forest clearings and woodland edges, up to 1,700m. altitude.
Single generation, the larvae feed mostly at night, on grasses Brachypodium sylvaticum.
In the winter months, the caterpillars hibernate in the form of chrysalises, sheltering under dry stones and rocks, will also winter in part wooden stems.
Adults can be observed, flying in and out of vegetation cover, on hot sunny days, continuously feeding on various flowers and resting on sunlit stems and leaves.
Read MoreFamily: Nymphalidae
Flight: Late April to early August (here in Alicante)
Wingspan:18 to 19 mm.
The Spanish Gatekeeper, is arguably the most attractive butterfly and less abundant in numbers, than the other three Gatekeeper species. Pyronia batsheba’s is found mainly in Spain (Iberian Peninsula, but missing at the northern end and northwest peninsular), Portugal, South of France and North Africa (mainly in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria).
Habitat: Rough grasslands and scrub land, (favouring sites with good bush/bramble covered vegetation) forest clearings and woodland edges, up to 1,700m. altitude.
Single generation, the larvae feed mostly at night, on grasses Brachypodium sylvaticum.
In the winter months, the caterpillars hibernate in the form of chrysalises, sheltering under dry stones and rocks, will also winter in part wooden stems.
Adults can be observed, flying in and out of vegetation cover, on hot sunny days, continuously feeding on various flowers and resting on sunlit stems and leaves.
