Tuesday, 1 October 2019
29-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MEDITERRANEAN LACE BORDER MOTH (Scopula submutata)
Scopula submutata, the Mediterranean lace border, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in southern Europe, North Africa and the Near East. The habitat consists of open, dry grassland and rocky slopes.
The wingspan is 20–25 millimetres (0.79–0.98 in). There are two generations per year, with adults on wing from May to October.
The larvae feed on Thymus species and Origanum vulgare.
Monday, 30 September 2019
29-9-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY (Vanessa cardui)
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Vanessa cardui is the most widespread of all butterfly species. It is commonly called the painted lady, or formerly in North America the cosmopolitan.
V. cardui occurs in any temperate zone, including mountains in the tropics. The species is resident only in warmer areas, but migrates in spring, and sometimes again in autumn. It migrates from North Africa and the Mediterranean to Britain and Europe in May and June, occasionally reaching Iceland, and from the Red Sea basin, via Israel and Cyprus, to Turkey in March and April. The occasional autumn migration made by V. cardui is likely for the inspection of resource changes; it consists of a round trip from Europe to Africa.
For decades, naturalists have debated whether the offspring of these immigrants ever make a southwards return migration. Research suggests that British painted ladies do undertake an autumn migration, making 14,500 km (9,000 mi) round trip from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle in a series of steps by up to six successive generations. The Radar Entomology Unit at Rothamsted Research provided evidence that autumn migrations take place at high altitude, which explains why these migrations are seldom witnessed. In recent years, thanks to the activity of The Worldwide Painted Lady Migration citizen science project, led by the Barcelona-based Institute of Evolutionary Biology (Catalan: Institut de Biologia Evolutiva), the huge range of migration has begun to be revealed. For example, some butterflies migrated from Iceland to the Sahara desert, and even further south.
29-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - MOORISH GECKO (Tarentola mauritanica)
Tarentola mauritanica, known as the common wall gecko, is a species of gecko (Gekkota) native to the western Mediterranean area of North Africa and Europe. It has been introduced to Madeira and Balearic Islands, and the Americas (in Montevideo, Buenos Aires and California). A nocturnal animal with a predominantly insectivorous diet, it is commonly observed on walls in urban environments in warm coastal areas; it can be found further inland, especially in Spain where it has a tradition of cohabitation with humans as an insect hunter. A robust species, up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long, its tubercules are enlarged and give the species a spiny armoured appearance.
The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is also known as moorish gecko, crocodile gecko, European common gecko, and, regionally, as osga (in Portuguese), salamanquesa (in Spanish) and dragó (in Catalan).
29-9-2019 PEGO MARJAL, ALICANTE - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)
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The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in the Palearctic zone in most of Europe and Asia and parts of North Africa; it also has a toehold in western Alaska as a scarce breeder. It is resident in the mildest parts of its range, but otherwise migrates to Africa. In total, there are between 9 and 11 subspecies of M. alba; in Ireland and Great Britain, the black-backed subspecies known as the pied wagtail (M. a. yarrellii) predominates.
The white wagtail is an insectivorous bird of open country, often near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas, it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and human-made structures.
30-9-2019 ALFAUIR, VALENCIA - EPAULET SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (MALE) (Orthetrum chrysostigma)
Orthetrum chrysostigma, the epaulet skimmer, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Israel, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi as well as Canary Islands, and Portugal. It was recorded in the Maltese Islands in 2010.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, rivers, intermittent rivers, shrub-dominated wetlands, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, and freshwater springs. The adults prey on various flying insects. The bodies of adult males are blue, and those of young and females are yellow and brown.
30-9-2019 ALFAUIR, VALENCIA - CONVOLVULUS HAWKMOTH (Agrius convolvuli) CATERPILLAR
Agrius convolvuli, the convolvulus hawk-moth, is a large hawk-moth. It is common throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, partly as a migrant. In New Zealand, it is also known as the kumara moth, and in the Māori language as hīhue.
The wingspan is 80–105 millimetres (3.1–4.1 in). This hawkmoth's basic coloration is in grayish tones, but the abdomen has a broad gray dorsal stripe and pink and black bands edged with white on the sides. The hindwings are light gray with darker broad crosslines.
Its favourite time is around sunset and during the twilight, when it is seen in gardens hovering over the flowers. This moth is very attracted to light, so it is often killed by cars on highways. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of the Convolvulus, hence its Latin name "convolvuli". Other recorded food plants include a wide range of plants in the families Araceae, Convolvulaceae, Leguminosae and Malvaceae. It can be a pest of cultivated Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato or kūmara) in New Zealand and the Pacific. The adult feeds on the wing and has a very long proboscis (longer than its body) that enables it to feed on long trumpet-like flowers such as Nicotiana sylvestris.
The caterpillars can be in a number of different colours. As well as brown (pictured below) they have been seen in bright green and black.
A. convolvuli is unmistakable in the eastern area of distribution, in the western area of distribution it can be mistaken for Agrius cingulata. This species, found mainly in South and Central America, is repeatedly detected on the western shores of Europe. Agrius cingulata can be distinguished on the basis of the clearly stronger pink colouring of the abdominal segments and a similarly coloured rear wing base. In addition, Agrius convolvuli form pseudoconvolvuli Schaufuss, 1870 has some resemblance with North American species in the genus Manduca, for instance Manduca sexta.
Sunday, 29 September 2019
27-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WAVE MOTH (idaea cervantaria)
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1.4 to 2.2 cm wingspan. Straw-coloured, with yellowish wings with scattered dark, brown or greyish scales. On each wing it has a wavy line with small pointed spots, pointing backwards. Sometimes these details are barely noticeable. Between these lines and the rear edge, it has dark spots that may have a light wavy stripe. It has a spot on each wing but those on the front wings may go unnoticed.
There are other similar species that are impossible to distinguish externally, so for a correct and safe identification, genital analysis must be used. Several of them have been found in the province of Malaga, although I. cervantaria is currently the most common and the only one that has been observed in urban environments.
The caterpillars feed on dry leaves of herbaceous plants and in captivity on petals of different Asteraceae and sea alder (Lobularia maritima), the latter common in our province, especially in sunny areas of the limestone mountains, and occasionally used in gardening for the showiness of its inflorescences.
25-9-2019 EL OSO, AVILA - FALSE MEADOW SAFFRON (Colchicum montanum)
False meadow saffron is an autumnal crocus adored for its thin, pointy purple petals with striking white centers and yellow filaments. The plant's leaves, seeds, and underground storage organ are poisonous. Despite this, false meadow saffron is a popular ornamental plant, often featuring in garden displays.
False meadow saffron is a perennial herb.
False meadow saffron is a plant native to the mountainous regions of Southwestern Europe. Over time, it has maintained its presence within its indigenous range, without notable introduction to regions beyond its original habitat. The essence of false meadow saffron's distribution remains tightly bound to this specific and confined locale, without significant cultivation or naturalization elsewhere. False Meadow saffron blooms in autumn.
23-9-2019 GALISTEO, CACERES - GUADARRAMA WALL LIZARD (Podarcis guadarramae ssp. guadarramae)
The Guadarrama Wall Lizard (Podarcis guadarramae) is a medium-sized lizard endemic to the granite rocks of the Sistema Central mountain range in Spain and Portugal. It is characterized by a flattened head and slender body, with a coloration that ranges from brown to green and can include dark spots. This species is known for living on rocks and scree, but also occupies sandy areas, and is an egg-laying omnivore that eats insects, fruit, and berries.
Physical characteristics Size: A medium-sized lizard with adult males averaging around \(53.8\) mm in snout-vent length (SVL) and females around \(51.6\) mm.
Coloration: Can range from brown to bright green with dark spots, often with a contrasting pale dorsolateral stripe in males. The belly is typically white, pink, or orange.
Head: Has a distinctively flattened head and an elongated snout. Habitat and distribution Location: Found in the mountain ranges of the Sistema Central, including the Sierra de Guadarrama, Sierra de Gredos, and Peña de Francia.Habitat: Primarily inhabits granite rock substrates, scree, and rocky areas, but also lives in sandy areas within pine forests. Behavior and diet Diet: An omnivore that feeds on invertebrates, fruits, and berries.Arboreal activity: While often found on rocks, recent observations show it also climbs trees and shrubs to significant heights, a behavior that is not fully understood.Territoriality: Males are highly territorial.
Reproduction Reproduction: Egg-laying (oviparous).Eggs: Females lay between 3 and 11 eggs, one or two times a year, depending on the summer's duration.
Hatchlings: Growth rates of hatchlings are influenced by the environment they are in, with those in higher altitude, colder, more humid conditions growing faster.
High-altitude populations: Higher altitude populations tend to have a larger clutch size (average 3.5 eggs) compared to lower altitude populations (average 2.5 eggs).
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