Two Cynthia in One Current Situation (2012–2013) of the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme in Catalonia, Andorra and the Balearic
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cynthiaBulletin of the Catalan Butterfly Monitoring Scheme 2012/2013 - no. 12 Cover the remaining species of this group. The other active in 1998. The current itinerary is short Detail of the fore wing of Small Copper, identification section tackles the common but (1,223 m) and consists of eight sections. Of Lycaena phlaeas (photo: Albert Miquel). often confusing group of the Dappled Whites the 38 species of butterfly detected to date, vs. Bath White and female Orange-tip. the most abundant are Mediterranean species Small white, Pieris rapae, about to visit a such as Spanish Gatekeeper Pyronia bathseba, flower (photo: Antoni Carvajal). False Ilex Hairstreak Satyrium esculi and Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi. Due to the presen- The CBMS network ce of a small hillock in sections 5 and 6, there Editorial is an unusually high abundance of hill-top- Two Cynthia in one Current situation (2012–2013) of ping species such as Wall Brown Lasiommata the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme megera, Swallowtail Papilio machaon, Scarce fter a long period without a Cynthia, we in Catalonia, Andorra and the Swallowtail Iphiclides feisthamelii, Western A are pleased to be able to publish this lon- Balearic Islands Dappled White Euchloe crameri and Long-tai- ger edition that corresponds to the 2012 and led Blue Lampides boeticus. Of note are a num- the 2013 seasons. Inside, you will find details During the 19th and 20th seasons, ber of good populations of more localised and of the new stations that have become active 66 and 67 stations, respectively, sedentary species such as Provence Hairstreak over the past two years, as well as a summary were active in the CBMS and BMSAnd Tomares ballus and Escher’s Blue Polyommatus of how the butterfly populations in Catalonia networks. Six new stations were escheri (the latter linked to the here abundant have fluctuated during these two years. The incorporated and two others were re- Montpellier milkvetch Astragalus monspelien- year 2012 was the poorest butterfly year, i.e. activated with modifications to their sis). Occasionally, Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas the fewest butterflies were counted, since the original routes. The three Menorcan aurinia, Woodland Grayling Hipparchia fagi CBMS project began: exceptionally, almost stations continued to provide data and and Black-eyed Blue Glaucopsyche melanops 20% of species had their worst-ever year, a a new station was set up in Andorra. In have been detected. The counts are carried out fact that is very possibly related to the severe 2012 101,758 butterflies were counted voluntarily by Carles Tobella. summer drought that Catalonia suffered that belonging to 158 species, whilst Viladecans (CBMS-120, Baix Llobregat, year. In 2013, butterfly populations recovered in 2013 the number of individuals 117 m). This itinerary is situated close to the somewhat but were still far from matching the and species were 143,586 and 161, non-active itineraries of Sant Boi and Sant Ra- numbers that characterized the first years of respectively. mon in a very humanized part of the Barcelo- the project. na coastal strip. The first section runs through The weather alone cannot explain the seve- n all, during the 2012 and 2013 seasons the built-up area of the town of Viladecans re fall in butterfly numbers in 2013 and we I counts were carried out at 72 stations (66 and then passes through a number of habitats should also look to the fragmentation and loss and 67, respectively; see figure 1 for the situa- to the north of the town occupied by a variety of preferred butterfly habitats. The effect of tion in 2013). As well, regular counts were of herbaceous and shrub habitats, with shade these phenomena has been analysed recently made at two other sites (Dosrius in El Mares- provided by a few pines. The vegetation con- using data from the CBMS and it has become me and L’Escanyat in Granollers), and counts sists of various different phases of succession clear that numerous factors influence the colo- were resumed at Gerri de la Sal; in all three towards a climax Mediterranean vegetation. nization and extinction rates of our commo- cases, it is hoped that these stations will provi- The butterfly fauna is clearly dominated by nest butterflies. This analysis reveals how the de complete data in the 2014 season. The two Mediterranean and thermophile species such landscape has become impermeable and makes counts in La Val d’Aran continued, although as Spanish Pyronia bathseba and Southern P. it difficult to butterflies to move from one area the number of counting weeks was reduced. cecilia Gatekeepers, Wall Brown Lasiommata to another. The available annual series are shown in fi- megera and False Ilex Hairstreak Satyrium es- For the section ‘The butterfly’ we have cho- gure 2. Of the 123 stations that have provided culi. There are also a number of generalist spe- sen the Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, a spe- data at one time or another, 41 (a third) have cies such as Small White Pieris rapae, Clouded cies that appears in practically all the CBMS provided data for ten or more years, while five Yellow Colias crocea, Common Blue Polyom- stations – including those on the Balearic stations (El Cortalet, Darnius, Can Ferriol, matus icarus, Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas Islands, where it is particularly common – Can Jordà and El Puig) have now been active and Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus. The throughout the whole year. It is a woodland for 20 or more years. abundance of Geranium Bronze Cacyreus mar- species and can often be seen exhibiting te- shalli, logically, is a result of the urban nature rritorial behaviour in clearings and woodland New transects of the first section. There are also a number of edges. This behaviour has been – and still is – Can Tiril Nou (CBMS-119, Maresme, more localized species such as Marsh Fritillary much studied by authors such as N.B. Davies 173 m). This itinerary runs through a totally Euphydryas aurinia and Great Banded Brin- and experimentally by research groups led by Mediterranean environment on an acid subs- tesia circe, Tree Hipparchia statilinus and Stri- C. Wiklund and H. Van Dyck. trate. The wooded surface includes stands of ped H. fidiaGraylings, which appear in low Finally, the identification section focu- umbrella pine Pinus pinea with fragments of numbers, as well as a few even less common ses on one of the traditionally most difficult Mediterranean oak woodland. The unders- species including Dusky Heath Coenonympha groups: the fritillaries of the genus Melitaea. torey includes numerous herbaceous plants, dorus, Grayling Hipparchia semele, Moroccan In this first part, we have concentrated on the above all grasses such as Brachypodium retusum Orange-tip Anthocharis euphenoides and Spot- Knapweed, Spotted and Lesser Spotted Friti- and B. phoenicoides. This itinerary coincides ted Fritillary Melitaea didyma that possibly llaries and in future editions we will look at partially with itinerary 31, which was only disperse from nearby colonies. The counts II Cynthia are funded by Viladecans Town Council as a arcania. Due to their localized character, the is, logically, low due to the isolation of the area means of evaluating the work done in the area most interesting species are Osiris Cupido osi- in the midst of a hostile urban area. To date, after the recent forest fires. The counts are ca- ris, Small C. minimus, Escher’s Polyommatus es- 21 species have been detected, most of which rried out by Guillem Pascual. cheri, Chapman’s P. thersites and Silver-studded (e.g. Bath Pontia daplidice, Small Pieris rapae El Remolar Nou (CBMS-121, Baix Llobre- Plebejus argus Blues. The counts are funded by and Large P. brassicae Whites, Clouded Yellow gat, 1 m). A substantial part of this itinerary the Granollers Natural History Museum and Colias crocea, Cleopatra Gonepteryx cleopatra, coincides with the original Remolar itine- were carried out in 2012 by Maria Guixé and Painted Lady Cynthia cardui and Red Admiral rary. As it reaches the sea, the itinerary passes Elisabeth Martínez, and in 2013 by Antoni Vanessa atalanta) are highly mobile and gener- through lines of vegetation running parallel Arrizabalaga. alist. Some species gather on top of the small to the sea: pinewoods, dune slacks and sand Moià (CBMS-123, Bages, 745 m). This hill and practice hill-topping – the case of the dunes. As well, it runs alongside the lagoon station is dominated by sub-Mediterranean Swallowtail Papilio machaon, Scarce Swallow- of El Remolar and also crosses areas of rude- vegetation including downy oak Quercus pub- tail Iphiclides feisthamelii, Two-tailed Pasha ral vegetation and Mediterranean grasslands. escens woodland and Blue aphyllanthes Aphy- Charaxes jasius, Long-tailed Blue Lampides boe- The new sections correspond essentially to llanthes monspeliensis grassland. The number of ticus and Wall Brown Lasiommata megera. The Brachypodium phoenicoides and other types of different habitats is relatively diverse – wood- proximity of the hills of La Serra de Collserola grassland, as well as the remains of the area’s land, pastures, scrub and croplands – and, explain the presence of isolated populations of riparian woodland, often with an importance given that this is mid-altitude calcareous ha- Spanish Pyronia bathseba and Southern P. cecil- presence of allochthonous plant species. The bitat, the diversity of butterfly species is truly ia Gatekeepers, and, possibly, of Great Banded butterfly fauna is dominated by generalist spe- exceptional: in just two years 91 species have Grayling Brintesia circe. In the purely urban cies including Small White Pieris rapae, Com- been detected and it is likely that in future section the only regularly appearing species is mon Blue Polyommatus icarus, Clouded Yellow years this number will continue to grow. There the Geranium Bronze Cacyreus marshalli.