1-5-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - CATALONIA WALL LIZARD (Podarcis liolepis)

1-5-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - OLD WORLD SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY (Papilio machaon)

Papilio machaon, the Old World swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. The butterfly is also known as the common yellow swallowtail or simply the swallowtail (a common name applied to all members of the family, but this species was the first to be given the name). It is the type species of the genus Papilio. This widespread species is found in much of the Palearctic (it is the only swallowtail in most of Europe) and in North America.

This species is named after Machaon (Ancient Greek: Μαχάων, romanized: Makháōn) a figure in Greek mythology. He was a son of Asclepius.

This butterfly is present throughout the entire Palearctic region, ranging from Russia to China and Japan, (including the Himalayas and Taiwan), and across into Alaska, Canada, and the United States, and thus, is not restricted to the Old World, despite the common name. In Asia, it is reported as far south as Saudi Arabia, Oman, the high mountains of Yemen, Lebanon, Iran and Israel. In southern Asia, it occurs in Pakistan and Kashmir, northern India (Sikkim, to Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh), Nepal, Bhutan, and northern Myanmar.

This butterfly is widespread in Europe. In the United Kingdom, it is limited to a few areas in the Norfolk Broads of East Anglia. It is the UK's largest resident butterfly. The monarch (Danaus plexippus) is slightly larger, but is only a rare vagrant.

As P. machaon is widespread throughout Eurasia and often common, it is not threatened as a species. It is listed as "vulnerable" in the South Korean and Austrian Red Data Books, and in the Red Data Book of the former Soviet Union. In Armenia the species demonstrates stable population trend and is assessed as Least Concern.

In some countries, P. machaon and its subspecies are protected by law. Papilio machaon machaon is protected by law in six provinces of Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. The species is protected in the United Kingdom, and subspecies verityi is protected in India.

The butterfly has a strong and fast flight, but frequently pauses to hover over flowering herbs and sip nectar. It frequents alpine meadows and hillsides, and males are fond of 'hilltopping', congregating near summits to compete for passing females. At lower elevations, it can be seen visiting gardens.

29-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WAVE MOTH (Idaea eugeniata)

Idaea eugeniata is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in Italy, France, Andorra, Spain, Portugal and North Africa.

The wingspan is 21–22 mm for males and 24–25 mm for females.

The larvae are polyphagous and have been recorded feeding on various herbaceous plants.

Subspecies

Idaea eugeniata eugeniata

Idaea eugeniata algeriaca (Culot, 1917)

29-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - DOUBLE STRIPED PUG MOTH (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/311619-Gymnoscelis-rufifasciata

13-7-2017 MONTE ORONA, VALENCIA - CONTINENTAL STRIPED SHIELD BUG (Graphosoma italicum ssp italicum)

The so-called "striped bug" in Spanish, Graphosoma lineatum subsp. italicum (Müller, 1766) , is a subspecies of the so-called "shield bugs", due to the shape of its scutellum, and belongs to the Pentatomidae family . Pentatomidae comes from the Greek and means "in five parts", referring to its antennae composed of 5 segments, compared to the 4 of other bugs. According to some authors, the species Graphosoma lineatum (Linnaeus, 1758) is divided into two subspecies. The typical one, Graphosoma lineatum subsp. lineatum (Linnaeus, 1758) , seems to be distributed in northern Africa and possibly the Iberian Peninsula and southern France. The other, Graphosoma lineatum subsp. italicum (Müller, 1766) is more widely distributed, in the Mediterranean and Euro-Siberian areas, reaching as far north as Denmark. Other authors give the latter the status of species, and it is now called Graphosoma italicum (Müller, 1766) .

This is a showy bug, 8-12 mm long in both males and females, with a flattened, almost round body, similar in appearance to a shield, and with a face that clearly protrudes from the head. This shield ( escutellum ) covers almost the entire abdomen, is triangular in shape and is usually as long as the corium of the elytra.It is easily identifiable by its reddish aposematic colour, which warns potential predators of its unpleasant taste. In fact, like many other bugs, it has glands on the sides of its thorax that exude a repulsive-smelling liquid when held. On the red background, 6 longitudinal black bands run across the head, thorax and abdomen. The sides of the abdomen ( connexivum ) are red with many small black spots, with a checkered pattern. The ventral part of the abdomen is dotted. The tarsi have 3 segments and the legs are generally black (red in the typical subspecies lineatum ), except for the third tibia, which can be reddish. They have a pair of black antennae composed of 5 antennae or segments and prominent eyes. Sexual dimorphism consists of females showing a median suture on the eighth abdominal segment, not present in males.

12-10-2017 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SATIN WAVE MOTH (Idaea subsericeata)

Idaea subsericeata, the satin wave, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. It is found from central and southern Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor to Transcaspia.

The ground colour is white with strong silky gloss, the lines grey, seldom strongly expressed, on the other hand usually all present, thus numbering five on the forewing and four on the hindwing; the outermost line (distal shading of subterminal) the oftenest absent; all except the median are parallel with the distal margin, but slightly wavy; the median on the forewing is usually somewhat oblique, but occasionally almost parallel with the others; that of the hindwing runs straighter across the wing, instead of following the curve of the strongly convex distal margin. Cellspots and terminal line wanting or rarely the former present, minute; fringe usually with a series of minute black dots at the base, which are sometimes in part, more rarely entirely obsolete. Forewing beneath often with a smoky suffusion, either basally or all over; median and postmedian lines present, often well developed; a small discal dot present. Hindwing beneath white, with discal dot and postmedian line. Male antennal ciliation little longer than diameter of shaft; hindtarsus short. 

28-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLUE ROCK THRUSH (MALE) (Monticola solitarius)

Widespread throughout Southern Europe, North Africa and Southern Asia, the blue rock thrush is a large sized chat which is predominantly sedentary, although a partial migrant within specific narrow geographical areas.

Although named as a thrush this bird is actually a chat. The adult male of the nominate race has a dark blue body with darker brown coloured wings and tail. It is the same size as a starling and has a long thick spiky slate grey bill. From a distance the male can appear to be black although the head is a bright blue. The adult female is a dull browny blue grey on the upperparts extending from the forehead, across the crown and down the back. The face is pale and mottled with thin brown markings almost with the appearance of scales, which run down to the mid chest area.

From the mid chest to the lower belly the body is pale with horizontal dark brown bars across the belly from flank to flank. Juveniles are similar to females but slighter darker with bolder underpart markings, although there is no blue colouration or shading on the plumage whatsoever. There are a total of five sub-species of blue rock thrush. The colour and patternation differences from the nominate of four of the sub-species are subtle, however the adult male of the sub-species Monticola solitarius philippensis is strikingly different, in that whilst the body of the bird is predominantly a bold blue, the breast, belly and undertail areas are a contrasting rufous to chestnut brown shade.

28-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BLUE ROCK THRUSH (FEMALE) (Monticola solitarius)

The blue rock thrush (merill) is Malta's national bird. It is 20-23cm long and has a long slim bill. It nests in rock cavities and buildings near the sea, and usually lays 3-5 eggs. It eats a wide variety of insects in addition to berries.

An omnivore, the Blue Rock Thrush eats a wide variety of insects and small reptiles in addition to berries and seeds. This is a starling-sized bird, 21–23 cm in length with a long slim bill. The summer male is unmistakable, with all blue-grey plumage apart from its darker wings.

The Blue Rock-thrush is very territorial and guards its territory also outside of the breeding season. It chases away birds that invade the territory, even birds from other species. The Blue Rock-thrush is an "old world" bird from Morocco in the west to Japan in the east. 

28-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - GREAT TIT (Parus major)

https:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_tit//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_tit

28-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WALL BROWN BUTTERFLY (Lasiommata maera)

Lasiommata megera, the wall or wall brown, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae (subfamily Satyrinae). It is widespread in the Palearctic realm with a large variety of habitats and number of generations a year.

P. megera L. [— xiphie Boisd. pt (45d). Above reddish yellow, with a black mark which traverses the distal band from the cell of the forewing to the abdominal margin of the hindwing, short black stripes crossing the disc and the cell of the forewing.

The species lives in North Africa, Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East, western Siberia, northern Tian Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, Kazakhstan and Dzungaria.

Habitats include forest edges and clearings, shrubby areas in ravines and river valleys and sparse woodlands. It is also found in mountain habitats up to 0–3,000 metres (0–9,843 ft) above sea level.

The imago flies from April to October in two or three generations depending on locality and altitude. The larva feeds on grasses in the genera Festuca, Bromus, Deschampsia, Poa, Dactylis and Brachypodium.

24-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - HAIRY ROSE BEETLE (Tropinota squalida)

Tropinota squalida is a species of beetle belonging to the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae.

These beetles are mainly found in France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, former Yugoslavia, Spain, in the Near East and in North Africa. They are not present in North or South America.

Larvae feed on roots, while the adults can be encountered from May through July feeding on flowers. They are 10–15 millimetres (0.39–0.59 in) long. The adults are considered an agricultural pest in many zones. They eat the flowers of a variety domestic plants, notably fruit trees, apple, pear, cherries, quince but also strawberries and flowers such as roses and irises. They will eat the pistil, stamens and petals leaving no possibility for fruit production. After feeding they will return to the soil in the area and come out again within a few days if the temperature is warm enough and continue feeding. Head, scutellum and elytra are dark-brown, with a thick and long tawny hair on elytra and abdomen. Elytra show two series of white spots on the sides of the central hull. Scutellun is rounded and hairy, but glabrous in the posterior. The fifth humeral slot is bifurcated.

27-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EMERALD MOTH (Phaiogramma etruscaria)

Phaiogramma etruscaria is a species of moth of the family Geometridae.

Phaiogramma etruscaria has a wingspan reaching 17.7-19.3 mm in males, 20-23.3 mm in the females. Wings are light green, with clearly visible white antemedial lines and small marbled striations. Hind tibia bear only terminal spurs in males, two pairs of spurs in females. Antennae are ciliate in males, while in females they are filiform. Adults are on wing from May to June. There is one generation per year. The pupae overwinter.

The larvae are polyphagous and feed on various Apiaceae (Anethum graveolens, Bupleurum, Foeniculum vulgare, Daucus, Ferula, Peucedanum) and on Thapsus, Lotus, Clematis and Rosmarinus.

It is found from the Mediterranean Sea area of Europe to central Asia. Records include Russia, Italy, France, the Crimea, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

This species inhabits warm scrubs and xerophilous hillsides.

27-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - OLD WORLD SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY (Papilio machaon)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/56529-Papilio-machaon

27-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - LYDD BEAUTY MOTH (Peribatodes ilicaria)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/470691-Peribatodes-ilicaria

 

26-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - HORSE CHESTNUT MOTH (Pachycnemia hippocastanaria)

Pachycnemia hippocastanaria (Horse Chestnut Moth) is a small geometrid moth with a 28–32 mm wingspan, appearing in grey, brown, and red tones. Native to European heathlands, it has two broods (April-May, August) and feeds on Heather (Calluna vulgaris), not Horse Chestnut trees. It is distinct from the invasive Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner (Cameraria ohridella). 

Key Facts about Pachycnemia hippocastanaria

Appearance: A relatively small, slender-bodied moth with a wingspan of 28–32 mm. The forewings are typically a mixture of grey, brown, and reddish tones with darker markings.

Habitat: Primarily found in warm, dry, open habitats such as heathlands.

Distribution: A southern species in Britain, restricted to heathlands in the southernmost counties. It is also found in various parts of Europe.

Life Cycle: It is double-brooded, with adults appearing in April and May, and a second, sometimes smaller brood appearing in August.

Larval Foodplant: Contrary to its name, the larvae feed on heathland plants, specifically Heather (Calluna vulgaris) and Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix).

Behaviour: Both males and females are attracted to light. 

26-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - DANCE FLIES (Family Empididae)

Empididae is a family of flies with over 3,000 described species occurring worldwide in all the biogeographic realms but the majority are found in the Holarctic. They are mainly predatory flies like most of their relatives in the Empidoidea, and exhibit a wide range of forms but are generally small to medium-sized, non-metallic and rather bristly.

Common names for members of this family are dagger flies (referring to the sharp piercing mouthparts of some species) and balloon flies. The term "dance flies" is sometimes used for this family too, but the dance flies proper, formerly included herein, are now considered a separate family Hybotidae.

Empididae are small to medium-sized flies, rarely large (1.0 to 15.0 mm). The body is slender, or elongated and rarely thickset. The colour ranges from yellow to black, and they may be pollinose or lustrous, but never have a metallic gloss. The head is often small and rounded with relatively large eyes. The eyes of the male and (rarely) the female may be contiguous (holoptic). The antenna usually have three segments of which the third is the largest and bears a long or short, usually apical arista or style. The eyes often have an incision (notch) at the level of the antennae. The proboscis is often long and in several genera powerful and piercing. If the mouthparts are strongly elongate they project forward or downward toward the fore legs. Some species have short mouthparts. The legs are usually long and slender but often powerful and in some cases, the fore legs are raptorial, adapted to catching and holding prey. The wings are clear or partially tinged and, in some species, with a stigma spot, or with a distinct pattern.

26-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SMALL WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pieris rapae)

Pieris rapae is a small- to medium-sized butterfly species of the whites-and-yellows family Pieridae. It is known in Europe as the small white, in North America as the cabbage white or cabbage butterfly, on several continents as the small cabbage white, and in New Zealand as the white butterfly. The butterfly is recognizable by its white color with small black dots on its wings, and it can be distinguished from P. brassicae by the latter's larger size and black band at the tip of the forewings.

The caterpillar of this species, often referred to as the "imported cabbageworm", is a pest to crucifer crops such as cabbage, kale, bok choy and broccoli. Pieris rapae is widespread in Europe and Asia; it is believed to have originated in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Europe, and to have spread across Eurasia thanks to the diversification of brassicaceous crops and the development of human trade routes. Over the past two centuries, it spread to North Africa (about 1800), North America (1860s), Hawaii (1897), New Zealand (1930), and Australia (1937), as a result of accidental introductions.

26-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - EUROPEAN GREENFINCH (Chloris chloris)

15-3-2017 GANDIA RIO SERPIS, VALENCIA - WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba)

The White wagtail is a slender bird with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. There are a number of other subspecies, some of which may have arisen because of partial geographical isolation, such as the resident British and Irish form, the pied wagtail M. a. yarrellii, which now also breeds in adjacent areas of the neighbouring European mainland. The Pied wagtail exchanges the grey colour of the nominate form with black (or very dark grey in females), but is otherwise identical in its behaviour. Other subspecies, the validity of some of which is questionable, differ in the colour of the wings, back, and head, or other features. Some rraces show sexual dimorphism during the breeding season. As many as six subspecies may be present in the wintering ground in India or Southeast Asia and here they can be difficult to distinguish.

White wagtails breed throughout Eurasia, only being absent in the Arctic. They also breed in the mountains of Morocco and western Alaska. These birds are residents in the milder parts of their range such as western Europe and the Mediterranean, but migratory in much of the rest of their range. Northern European breeders winter around the Mediterranean and in tropical and subtropical Africa, and Asiatic birds move to the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. Birds from the North American population also winter in tropical Asia. White wagtails occupy a wide range of habitats but are absent from deserts. They inhabit grasslands, seashores, rocky shorelines, sand beaches, tidepools, rivers, lakeshores, farmland, gardens, and parks. They are also often found in towns and villages. 

24-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - RUNNING CRAB SPIDER (Celerrimus duffeyi)

Celerrimus is a monotypic genus of European running crab spiders containing the single species, Celerrimus duffeyi. It was first described by S. Lecigne, J.-F. Cornic and P. Oger in 2019.

Celerrimus duffeyi is a species of running crab spider found in Europe, and it is the sole species within the monotypic genus Celerrimus. 

Key facts about Celerrimus duffeyi:

Taxonomy: It belongs to the family Philodromidae, commonly known as running crab spiders.

Discovery: The species was first described and named in 2019 by Lecigne, Cornic, and Oger.

Nomenclature: The genus name Celerrimus likely refers to its agility as a running spider, while the species name duffeyi honors Dr. Eric Duffey, a noted British arachnologist and pioneering spider ecologist.

Habitat: While specific details for this exact species are limited in the search results, other spiders in the Philodromidae family are free-living, agile spiders commonly found on plants or on the soil surface.

Distribution: The species is recorded as present in Western Europe.

Physical Description: No specific physical description of Celerrimus duffeyi was available in the provided snippets; however, other members of its family typically have a white to red-brown carapace and white to dark brown legs with annulations (ring-like markings). 

24-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - BOAR THISTLE (Galactites tomentosa)

Galactites tomentosus, the purple milk thistle, is a biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Galactites of the Asteraceae family.

Galactites tomentosus is a hemicryptophyte plant up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) tall. The stem is erect and pubescent, branched at the top. The leaves are green, long and pinnatisect, lanceolate, mottled with white markings, while the underside is whitish and covered with matted woolly hairs. The margins of the leaves bear strong thorns.

The flower heads are quite large – about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in diameter. The involucre of the flower head is covered by hairy scales ending with a single grooved thorn. The central flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by insects, while external flowers are sterile; their color varies from white or pink to lilac-purple.

The flowering period extends from April through July and the seeds ripen from August through September[citation needed]. The fruits are achenes with whitish hairy appendages (pappus).

The genus name derives from the Greek γάλα (= "milk"), referring to the dense white hairs covering the stems and leaves of this species, the species name tomentosus means hairy in Latin.

24-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - TUBEROUS MEADOW RUE (Thalictrum tuberosum)

Thalictrum tuberosum (tuberous-rooted meadow rue) is a hardy perennial, typically featuring masses of waxy white flowers in early summer and distinctive tuberous roots. Native to rocky pastures in Spain and the Pyrenees, this species grows well in well-drained, humus-rich soil in sunny or partially shaded spots.

Key Facts about Thalictrum tuberosum

Appearance: This plant displays upright stems with fine, Aquilegia-like foliage and white to yellowish flowers, usually appearing between May and July.

Size: It grows to a height of approximately \(20-50\text{ cm}\) (2-5 dm).

Root System: It has distinct tuberous roots, from which it gets its name.

Habitat: It is native to rocky areas in Spain and France.Care Needs: Thrives in full sun or dappled shade.Soil Type: Prefers fertile, well-drained soil.

Propagation: It can be divided in early spring or late autumn.

24-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - LONG TAILED TIT (Aegithalos caudatus)

24-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY (Pararge aegeria)

The speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic realm. The species is subdivided into multiple subspecies, including Pararge aegeria aegeria, Pararge aegeria tircis, Pararge aegeria oblita, and Pararge aegeria insula. The color of this butterfly varies between subspecies. The existence of these subspecies is due to variation in morphology down a gradient corresponding to a geographic cline. 

The background of the wings ranges from brown to orange, and the spots are either pale yellow, white, cream, or a tawny orange. The speckled wood feeds on a variety of grass species. The males of this species exhibit two types of mate locating behaviors: territorial defense and patrolling. The proportion of males exhibiting these two strategies changes based on ecological conditions. The monandrous female must choose which type of male can help her reproduce successfully. Her decision is heavily influenced by environmental conditions.

24-4-2020 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - FIELD GLADIOLUS (Gladiolus italicus)

Gladiolus italicus, commonly known as field gladiolus or Italian gladiolus, is a hardy, cormous perennial native to Eurasia and North Africa, often acting as a wildflower in Mediterranean cultivated fields. It is characterized by bright pink to magenta flowers, tall, unbranched stems up to 1m (3 ft) high, and sword-shaped leaves.

Here are the key facts about Gladiolus italicus:

Appearance and GrowthFlowers: Features loose spikes of up to 20 pinkish-purple flowers, each 4–5 cm long with paler pink markings on lower petals.

Foliage: Produces narrow, sword-shaped leaves that can reach up to 1 meter in height.

Bloom Time: Flowers in late spring to early summer (March to June).

Roots: Grows from a corm, with the ability to multiply via cormlets, making it a prolific spreader.

Habitat and EcologyNative Region: Widely found throughout the Mediterranean, including southern Europe, North Africa, and parts of Southwest Asia.