Code

Closed wings: Their background is white with veins and black, grey or grey-yellowish shapes. On the forewing, there is a small black spot close to the apex. On the hindwing, there is a peculiar pattern, which is broken in the middle. A series of black eyespots surrounded by white rings, which are outlined in grey, can be also seen.

Open wings: They usually do not stretch their wings. Their design is rather similar to the open wings, but there is more black colour, and a characteristic pattern on the forewings.

Similar species

Western Marbled White: When the wings are closed, veins are reddish as well as eyespots on the hindwings. Their centre is blue and there is a thin and blackish ring around them. When it closes the wings, the pattern in the centre of the wings is different, as there is a big white spot close to the front margin.

Spanish Marbled White: On closed wings, the eyespots on the hindwing are reddish, and their centre bluish, while the outer ring is rather black and thin. There are two small reddish eyespots on the forewing. When it stretches the wings, the central pattern is different, as it has a black stripe which is at right angles to the front margin and close to the base of the wings.

Biology and Habitat

It mostly flies in June and July, and takes one generation a year to do so.

It mostly lives in mountainous locations, whether these are forests or well-preserved thickets, or some more degraded places such as stony areas, bushes, grassland and pastures. Their caterpillars feed on grass plants, such as Purple False-brome (Brachypodium phoenicoides), Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) and some other species that belong to the genera Bromus and Festuca.

Distribution in the Great Path

It is relatively common on the stages along the GMP which go through the Serranía de Ronda. It is rare and limited to the east and the north of Málaga, where they might exist in greater numbers than it known. It is not present on the coastal stages, included the mountains on the coast.