Butterflies of the Algarve

During our regular holidays in the Algarve staying at COAA (Centre for Observational Astronomy in the Algarve) we keep a look out for what butterflies we can see. In  2002 we spotted 17 different types with at least a couple of other possibles that were only glimpsed briefly! For the 2005 holiday we added many more and in some cases we are still trying to identify the butterfly and so expect a few more to be added when we are happy we have identified them correctly. We have managed to photograph most of them and the pictures are here for you to enjoy. During our 2005 trip we spotted at least 30 different Butterflies with many new ones we had never seen before and in some cases we have now got better pictures of some of those poorly imaged during our previous visits. In total so far we have now seen and identified 35 Algarve Butterflies with a couple still not clearly identified. Our April 2007 trip we saw several of the regulars and added a new one - the Green Hairstreak Butterfly so that now makes around 36 butterflies seen in the Algarve whilst our 2008 holiday had around 22 of the regulars spotted on our travels. We hope you enjoy viewing them.

Papiliondae Family
(Swallowtail Family)
 
Swallowtail
Papilio machaon
2005 image of a Swallowtail
A 2005 image of a Swallowtail Butterfly
Scarce Swallowtail
Iphiclides podaliriu
Top view of Scarce Swallowtail
Scarce Swallowtail

Nymphalidae Family
(Fritillary Family)
Marsh Fritillary
Euphydryas aurinia
1995 image of a Marsh Fritillary

2005 image of a Marsh Fritilliary
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
A Painted Lady Butterfly seen in 2005
Two-tailed Pasha
Charaxes jasius
Two-tailed Pasha
Two-tailed Pasha

Satyridae Family
(Brown Family)
 
Spanish Meadow Brown Butterfly (Male and Female)
Maniola jurtina hispulla

Female Spanish Meadow Brown

 

 Male Spanish Meadow Brown seen in 2005
2002 image of 2 Spanish Meadow Browns

Southern Gate Keeper Butterfly
Pyronia cecilia
Southern Gatekeeper

Southern Gatekeeper


2005 image of Southern Gatekeeper
another 2005 view of a Male Southern Gatekeeper
 Spanish Gate Keeper Butterfly
Pyronia bathsheba
Clearly seen and identified but it wouldn't stay still long enough to get a photo :-(

Speckled Wood Butterfly (South European)
Pararge aegeria aegeria

A battered Speckled Wood  
 2005 image of a Speckled Wood
Spanish Marbled White
 Melanargia ines
Spanish Marbled White
Spanish Marbled White
Wall Brown
 Lasiommata megera
Male Wall Brown
Female Wall Brown underside
 
Pieridae Family
(White Family)
 
Large White Butterfly (Male & Female)
Pieris Brassicae
Female Large White
Small White Butterfly (Male & Female)
Artogeia rapae
Brimstone Butterfly (Male & Female)
Gonepteryx rhamni
Brimstone - 2005


Cleopatra Butterfly (Male & Female)
Gonepteryx cleopatra
Berger's Clouded Yellow (Male)
Colias alfacariensis

 Bergers Clouded Yellow
Clouded Yellow
Colias crocea
Mating Clouded Yellows

Male and Female Clouded Yellows Male (top) and Female Clouded Yellow Butterflies in flight
Clouded Yellow (Helice)
Colias crocea helice
Clouded Yellow Helice
Green Striped White
Euchloe belemia
Green Striped White
Green Striped White
Western Dappled White
Euchloe crameri
Western Dappled White
Western Dappled White
Green Veined White
Artogeia napi
No pictures taken as it didn't stay still long enough!!


 
Hesperiidae Family
(Skipper Family)
 
Small Skipper Butterfly
  Thymelicus sylvestris
Small Skipper
Essex Skipper Butterfly
 Thymelicus lineola
Essex Skipper
False Mallow Skipper
Carcharodus tripolinus
False Mallow Skipper
Upper view of False Mallow Skipper
Lulworth Skipper
 Thymelicus acteon
Lulworth Skipper
Lulworth Skipper
 
Lycaenidae Family
(Blue Family)
 
Common Blue Butterfly (Male and Female)
 Polyommatus icarus
Male Common Blue This view has us slightly puzzled as the underside wings shown at right are clearly that of the Common Blue. The upper wing surfaces also look identical to the Male Common Blue - but there is a dark spot 1/5th of the way up along the Forewing upperside from the thorax and it is on both forewings - is this butterfly a hybrid?
 Underside of same Common Blue
Female Common Blue Butterfly 2002
2005 image of a Female Common Blue underside
The Small Copper Butterfly
  Lycaena phlaeus
Small Copper
Side view of Small Copper
2005 image of Small Copper underside
2005 image of Small Copper
Holly Blue (Male)
Celastrina argiolus
Holly Blue

Spanish Brown Argus Butterfly
Aricia agestis cramera

 Side view
2005 view of Spanish Brown Argus
2005 view of Spanish Brown Argus underside
Adonis Blue (Male)
Lysandra bellargus

Underside of Male Adonis Butterfly
Blue Spot Hairstreak
Satyrium spini

 Blue Spot Hairstreak
False Ilex Hairstreak
Satyrium esculi
False Ilex Hairstreak
False Baton Blue
Pseudophilotes abencerragus
False Baton Blue

Geranium Bronze
Cacyreus marshalli
Geranium Bronze Butterfly
Geranium Bronze
Underwing of Geranium Bronze
2005 image of Geranium Bronze
Lang's Short-tailed Blue
Leptotes pirithous
Male and Female Lan'gs Short-tailed Blue
Long-tailed Blue
Lampides boeticus
Long-tailed Blue
Green Hairstreak
Callophrys rubi
Green Hairstreak
Green Hairstreak
The following identity still to be confirmed - anybody care to help?!
Black-eyed Blue?
Glaucopsyche melanops
Possible Black-eyed Blue
The problem with this identification is that although according to our 'bible' on Butterflies (Collins Field Guide to Butterflies of Britain and Europe isbn 0-00-219992-0 ) the underside markings and what little we see of the upper wing appears to match the Black-eyed Blue - this Butterfly should not occur in the Algarve! Perhaps since the book has been published (1997) the Butterfly has spread further afield? We note that the Geranium Bronze has been clearly identified and noted in the Algarve even though the book does not mention the Algarve in it's distribution - perhaps the Black-eyed Blue has also extended it's range? Weve also had it suggested that it could be a Lorquin's Blue and that is certainly a possibility - we could do with getting a better picture and will try next time we are out there.


Webmaster ã Paul L Money 2008