The BMS Network Takes Root in Europe Current Situation of the Butterfly
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cynthiaBulletin of the Catalan Butterfly Monitoring Scheme 2005 - no. 5 Cover downy oaks and dry garrigue. The transect runs The CBMS network Detail of the underside of the hind-wing of a through land belonging to the Fundació Territori Western Marbled White Melanargia occitanica Current situation of the Butterfly i Paisatge and forms part of a monitoring system (photograph: A. Miquel). Monitoring Scheme in Catalonia carried out by this foundation in its properties. This and the Balearic Islands area is of great interest for butterflies and with almost Marbled White Melanargia galathea on a Compositae 90 species counted so far is one of the richest (photograph: J.R. Salas). In all, 54 stations participated in the 12th transects in Catalonia. season of the CBMS. This figure includes Estrets d’Arnes (Terra Alta, 600 m). This itin- reactivated itineraries at Coll d’Estenalles erary also runs through land belonging to the Fun- and the UAB and a new station at Estrets dació Territori i Paisatge and passes through a spec- Editorial d’Arnes (Ports de Tortosa-Beseït), although, tacular river gorge dominated by sheer limestone The BMS network takes root on the downside, the loss of the Mas de and conglomerate cliffs. The vegetation largely con- in Europe Melons itinerary is to be regretted. A total of sists of arid scrub and Aleppo pine; one of the most 99,107 butterflies belonging to 140 species notable feature of the butterfly communities here he year 2005 saw the end of one era for the were recorded. is the rich selection of ‘browns’ such as Western T CBMS and the start of another. From 2006 Marbled White Melanargia occitanica, four species onwards, the organisation and infrastructure of the uring the 2005 season a total of 54 butterfly of the genus Hipparchia and The Hermit Chazara project will be improved thanks to an agreement D walks provided data, of which 50 managed to briseis. reached between the Catalan Department of the record a complete annual series of weekly counts Cal Carro (Vallès Oriental, 280 m). This itin- Environment and Housing and the Granollers (fig. 1). For 45 stations direct comparisons can be erary passes through a landscape of fields and for- Museum. The most obvious change will be the made with figures from 2004. Furthermore, a num- est, so typical of the Vallès plain as it merges into work of Jordi Jubany and Quim Muñoz, who will ber of other itineraries will be incorporated forth- the foothills of the Montseny Massif. This mosaic be in charge of the technical coordination of the with into the CBMS network: Margalef (400 m, is blessed by species from more upland areas (White CBMS project and will endeavour to make the Priorat), Morera de Montsant (750 m, Priorat), Admiral Limenitis camilla, Camberwell Beauty CBMS work far more efficiently. Their new tasks Vilert (100 m, Pla de l’Estany), Barranc d’Useu, Nymphalis antiopa and Small Skipper Thymelicus include periodic visits to CBMS sites to help with environs of Gerri de la Sal (800 m, Pallars Sobirà) sylvestris) and others more typical of lowland agri- doubts concerning methodology and identifica- and Plaça dels Arbres, next to the well-known Estany cultural areas (Small White Pieris rapae, Clouded tion. As well, the internal workings of the database de Sant Maurici in the Aigüestortes National Park Yellow Colias crocea, Long-tailed Blue Lampides will become much easier. (1,800 m, Pallars Sobirà). As well, regular census- boeticus and Lang’s Short-tailed Blue Leptotes pirit- A second novelty for 2006 is the start of the es have been carried out in Andorra at Enclar (900 hous). BMSAnd project, the new Andorran butterfly mon- m) and Sorteny (1,800 m) as part of a project for It is worth highlighting the reactivation of the itoring scheme being coordinated by the Andorran an Andorran BMS network. The available annual itineraries at Coll d’Estenalles after two years of Biodiversity Centre. The project uses the CBMS data series are shown in figure 2. Over 40 stations inactivity and at the UAB campus. This latter sta- methodology and counts have begun in 2006 in a now exist with data sets for five or more years and tion had only managed to generate incomplete few stations, but it is hoped to incorporate new sta- 11 itineraries have now celebrated their tenth anniver- results (2003) and so 2005 was the first time this tions in the not too distant future in order to cov- siaries. itinerary had produced fully usable data. Despite er all of the country’s different habitats. The BMSAnd being an area with relatively little biodiversity, the will provide new information on Pyrenean but- New transects surroundings of the Barcelona Autonomous Uni- terflies and will document for the first time their Vall d’Horta (Vallès Occidental, 550 m). This tran- versity are one of the few well preserved parts of yearly cycles. From the start the CBMS and BMSAnd sect runs through a mosaic of Aleppo pine wood- what is otherwise an area under great pressure from have established close links that will permit both land and fields that was badly affected by the for- urban sprawl. projects to benefit mutually from the other’s find- est fire in the Sant Llorenç del Munt Natural Park The itineraries at Turó de l’Home, Vallgrassa, ings. We wish our Andorran colleagues all the suc- in August 2004. It consists of 10 sections around Martorell, Mas de Melons and Sant Boi were not cess in the world in their BMS project. Can Brossa in La Vall d’Horta, a small valley near active in 2005, although the only really important In 2005 new BMS networks were set up in Ger- the town of Sant Llorenç Savall. Despite having loss is that of the itinerary at Mas de Melons. The many, France, Hungary, Switzerland and the Ukraine, been recently devastated by fire, the itinerary has remaining stations will be reactivated in 2006 or, coinciding with the interest shown by the Euro- maintained its highly diverse butterfly populations as is the case at Sant Boi, will be substituted by pean Union in developing indicators of changes in and species such as Provence Hairstreak Tomares another itinerary in a nearby area. biodiversity. This will help identify which ecosys- ballus, Marbled Fritillary Brenthis daphne, Lesser tems are suffering greatest biodiversity loss and what Spotted Fritillary Melitaea trivia, Western Marbled Habitats represented corrective measures need to be applied. Thus, the White Melanargia occitanica and Southern Mar- The different habitats and plant communities cov- BMS networks have become fully recognised as an bled Skipper Carcharodus boeticus all appear. This ered by the CBMS in 2005 are shown in table 1. essential tool in conservation and in the near future transect is financed by the Sant Llorenç del Munt As has been the case since the beginning of the proj- butterflies will join birds as one of the best bioindi- Natural Park ect, there is an overwhelming dominance of low- cator groups for terrestrial ecosystems. Alinyà (Alt Urgell, 1,100 m). Located near the land stations representing different types of holm village of Alinyà, this itinerary follows a path and oak forest. This explains the abundance of data for a track through a cultivated area (allotments and species of butterfly such as False Ilex Hairstreak hay meadows), an abandoned terrace being encroached Satyrium esculi, Nettle-tree Butterfly Libythea celtis, upon by the surrounding woodland, a more humid Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius, Meadow Brown patch of woodland and, finally, a sub-Mediterranean Maniola jurtina and Spanish Gatekeeper Pyronia wood consisting of a mixture of Lusitanian and bathseba that are common in these environments. II Cynthia Moreover, in 2005 there were also 10 stations com- ballus, Small Blue Cupido minimus, Chequered Blue Twelfth year of the CBMS pletely located in scrublands in the southern and/or Scolitantides orion, Duke-of-Burgundy’s Fritillary Summary of the 2005 season most continental parts of Catalonia. Although con- Hamearis lucina, Twin-spot Fritillary Brenthis hecate, ditions vary from one site to another, in these sta- Spanish Fritillary Euphydryas desfontainii, etc.). The year 2005 was marked by one of the tions butterflies such as Spanish Festoon Zerynthia Other species are relatively common in the cen- coldest winters on record and then by one rumina, Bath White Pontia daplidice, Adonis Blue tral European-style habitats that are poorly covered of the century’s most severe droughts. Polyommatus bellargus and Striped Grayling Hip- by the CBMS network (for example, Small Tor- However, it was this drought, above all, parchia fidia are common. toiseshell Aglais urticae, Map Butterfly Araschnia that had the most significant influence on The coastline is covered by a total of seven sta- levana and Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus). the butterfly fauna and 2005 proved to be tions, including those on Menorca and Ibiza. Despite the second worst ever season since the being generally fairly species poor, these itineraries Constantí Stefanescu CBMS began. In 39 out of 45 stations for provide interesting data on migrant species such as which comparable figures exist for 2004 Painted Lady Cynthia cardui and even Plain Tiger and 2005, fewer butterflies were counted Danaus chrysippus. 1 Folch i Guillèn, R., 1981. La vegetació dels Països in 2005, with especially noticeable Central European environments are very impor- Catalans. Ketres Editora, Barcelona. declines occurring in the numbers of False tant in Catalonia, but they are represented in the Ilex Hairstreak Satyrium esculi, Clouded 2 F. Carceller, com. pers. CBMS by only six stations. Despite this deficien- Yellow Colias crocea, Common Blue cy, those itineraries in areas of dry pine and oak 3 Stefanescu, C., Roca, M.