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Dingy Swift / Mediterranean Skipper. Gegenes nostrodamus (Fabricius, 1793)

Diputación de Málaga
018 Veloz de las rieras

Dingy Swift / Mediterranean Skipper. Gegenes nostrodamus (Fabricius, 1793)

Present
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Safe appearance Probable appearance
MediosLand
Animal Life > Butterflies

Wingspan: From 2.5 to 3.2 cm.

Code

Closed wings: Their colour is grey or light creamy white. Only female butterflies have small white spots on the inside of forewings, which cannot always be seen clearly.

Open wings: This species does not show them very often, but when it does, we can perceive their dark brown colour and white spots on female butterflies' forewings.

Similar species

Borbo Skipper: It is hardly ever seen with open wings. When its wings are closed, the hindwings. Are yellowish with black spots, some of which have a white centre. There are bigger white spots on forewings.

Biology and Habitat

They take several generations to fly during spring and until the beginning of autumn, and they are most commonly seen in summer and autumn.

These butterflies live above all close to the lower sections of rivers and streams, where river beds are dry almost throughout the year, and on river terraces. To a lesser extent, they can be found at dunes, which are becoming scarce, sandy shores, and coastal marshes. They are migratory kind of butterflies, so they can sometimes be observed in urban areas, parks and gardens where they drink from ornamental plants. They always live at altitudes which are lower than 400 m.

Distribution in the Great Path

The species is frequent at lower altitudes and on coastal parts of the GMP, although it is rare and can be found in limited number of places, above all at lower rivers and streams which are dry or with seasonal flow. There is a probability the species can be spotted at other places along the northern stages of the path in Málaga.