13. D ESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE: HESPERIIDAE FAMILY Essex sylvestris (Poda, 1761)

DESCRIPTION

Wingspan: From 2.5 to 3 cm. These butterfl ies main feature are orange clubs on their antennae. In order to see them, you must face a butterfl y or watch it when its wings are closed. Open wings: Each wing is gold-coloured. The male butterfl ies’ forewings have a short black line (androconia). Closed wings: The hindwings are straw-coloured.

Orange antennae clubs

Black line (androconia)

Orange antennae club

Straw-coloured wings

62 DIURNAL • GR-249 Great Malaga Path : When their wings are open, male butterfl ies have a bit shorter black line (androconia) than the above . : This species can be confused with Essex Skippers only when its wings are closed because its hindwings are a bit more orange. Golden colour can be observed when forewings are shown.

Small Skipper Lulworth Skipper

It mostly fl ies in June, and takes one generation a year to do so. The period of its fl ight can help us distinguish this species from the Small Skipper, as both species live in the same place but the latter fl ies earlier than the . They usually live in the mountains, grassland, well-preserved sparse forest and on scrubland. The species can be found at an altitude that ranges between 400 to 1800 m in the Province of Málaga. Their caterpillars feed on grasses that belong to different genera. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

These butterfl ies can be seen in the mountain ranges, the Arco Calizo Central and the Serranía de Ronda. They are likely to be found in some other places as well, above all along the routes which go through the Tejeda and Almijara Mountains, and maybe in the remote areas in the north of the province.

Legend:

Great Malaga Path

Distribution of the species along the GMP GR-249 Great Malaga Path • DIURNAL BUTTERFLIES 63