5. D ESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE: HESPERIIDAE FAMILY Mallow alceae (Esper, 1780)

DESCRIPTION Wingspan: From 2 to 3 cm. Open wings: These butterfl ies forewings are dark brown with some grey and chestnut colour shades, while the hindwings are entirely dark brown with two kinds of spot patterns which are rather dull and unclear . Closed wings: Both of the wings are little lighter brown than on the inside. The margins with fi mbriae are white and brown like a chess board, with some white spots on the hindwings, which are not covered in white veins.

KEY FOR VISUAL IDENTIFICATION

Three aligned well-marked square white spots

A series of vague spots

Chestnut colour Lighter brown than on the inside

Checked margin

Vaguely marked veins

46 DIURNAL • GR-249 Great Malaga Path Mallow Skipper (, Verity, 1925), is identical, so it is necessary to examine its male sex organ in order to identify the . Marbled Skipper: When it opens wings, there are series of white striking spots on each wing, while the closed hindwings are rather white. (Rambur, 1840): When their wings are open, these butterfl ies are grey and reddish, and sometimes they have white spots which are more prominent on the hindwings. White veins can be observed when their wings are closed. Tufted Skipper or Tufted Marbled Skipper (Charcaharodus fl occiferus, Zeller, 1847): When these butterfl ies’ wings are open, similarly to the previous species, there are series of white spots which stand out on the hindwings. When their wings are closed, white spots are more prominent than in the case of other species. Marbled Skipper Tufted Skipper

BIOLOGY & HABITAT These butterfl ies fl y throughout the year, taking several generations, some of them at the same time, to do so. They are particularly common at the beginning of autumn, if the summer was Carcharodus baeticus rainy. They can be found in varied habitats, above all, in those places which have been adapted, such as parks and gardens, where their mallow foodplants ( or Lavathera genus) grow. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec These butterfl ies can be found all along the Great Málaga path, though there are not many tons in which they can be seen nor they are present in big numbers. This species was seen in Manilva and Vélez-Málaga, but the exact locations where they come are not known, nor do we know where precisely they can be seen along the Great Path.

Legend:

Great Malaga Path

Distribution of the species along GR-249 Great Malaga Path • DIURNAL BUTTERFLIESthe GMP 47