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86. D ESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE: NYMPHALIDAE FAMILY Rock Grayling Hipparchia alcyone (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) DESCRIPTION Wingspan: From 4.6 to 6 cm. Closed wings: They are light brown, sprinkled with darker colour and grey. On the forewing, a black eyespot with a white centre and yellow outline can be perceived. There is also a smaller eyespot below it, which can hardly ever be seen. A wide white stretch goes across the hindwings. There are two wavy lines that spread from the brown section to the base of the wing. The fi rst line is touching the white one, and its angles are slightly closed, while the second one is parallel to the outer margin.Open wings: This species practically never stretches its wings. Dark brown with yellowish stretches can be seen on all wings. The forewing has two eyespots. Black eyespot with a white centre and yellow outline Slightly closed angles Very wide white stripe Wavy dark lines Two eyespots Yellowish stretches 208 DIURNAL BUTTERFLIES • GR-249 Great Malagal Path Graying: The main difference is the white stripe on the hindwing, which gets narrower at the front margin because of a brown section in the inner part of the wing. On the hindwing, there is also a dark eyespot close to the anal angle, with vague boarders and a white dot in the centre. Great Banded Grayling: A line which is parallel to the hindwing outer margin is no wavy , but zigzag and angled, the same as a line which meets the white stretch on the inner part of the wing. The white stretch goes across the middle of the wings, between the base and the larger white stretch. On the forewing, a black eyespot is partly outlined in white. Great Banded Grayling Grayling There is only one generation that fl ies a year. Exceptionally, it fl ies from May to September, although it is more common and plentiful during June and July. It mainly lives in well-preserved forests, such as pine woods, oak and cork oaks groves (the latter one in lesser extent) and the Spanish fi r forests. It can also be found in tony areas and bushes. It lives at an altitude between 650 and 1900 m. It is often present in open areas in woodland, such as grassland, pasture and scattered thickets. Its caterpillars feed on grasses that belong to genera Festuca and Arrhenatherum, although these butterfl ies sometimes lay eggs away from the plants, for example, stones or on gorses (Ulex spp. and Genista hirsuta). Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The species is present in small numbers and only at specifi c places in the Arco Calizo Central, the Serranía de Ronda, Tejeda and Almijara Mountains, where they can probably be found on other trails. There might also be some butterfl ies at limited places in the northern stages, especially along stages 12, 13, and 14. Legend: Great Malaga Path Distribution of the species along GR-249 Great Malaga Path • DIURNAL BUTTERFLIESthe GMP 209.

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