Spanish Gatekeeper. Pyronia bathseba (Fabricius, 1793)
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Wingspan: From 3.4 to 4 cm.
Routes where it can be observed
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 09. Periana - Riogordo
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 04. Torrox - Nerja
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 05. Nerja - Frigiliana
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 06. Frigiliana - Cómpeta
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 07. Cómpeta - Canillas de Aceituno
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 08. Canillas de Aceituno - Periana
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 10. Riogordo - Alfarnate
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 11. Alfarnate - Villanueva del Rosario
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 12. Villanueva del Rosario - Archidona
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 13. Archidona - Villanueva de Tapia
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 14. Villanueva de Tapia - Villanueva de Algaidas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 15. Villanueva de Algaidas - Cuevas Bajas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 17. Alameda - Fuente de Piedra
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 19. Campillos - Embalses del Guadalhorce
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora)
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 21. Estación de El Chorro (Álora) - Carratraca - Ardales
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 22. Ardales - El Burgo
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 23. El Burgo - Ronda
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 24. Ronda - Estación de Benaoján
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 25. Estación de Benaoján - Jimera de Líbar
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 26. Jimera de Líbar - Benalauría
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 27. Benalauría - Genalguacil
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 28. Genalguacil - Casares
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 29. Casares - Estepona
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 31. Marbella - Ojén
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 32. Ojén - Mijas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 33. Mijas - Benalmádena
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 34. Benalmádena - Alhaurín de la Torre
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 35. Alhaurín de la Torre - Málaga
Code
Closed wings: The hindwing is brown, and a white stretch which goes across it. Behind it, there is a series of eyespots, which is broken by a light stretch. The forewing is orange, with a double eyespot and a wide grey and brown margin.
Open wings: This species hardly ever stretches the wings. Both sexes are orange with broad brown margins in the shape of an eight, although sometimes male butterflies miss one of the white dots in the centre. There is a series of eyespots on the hindwings. Female butterflies have larger orange sections, as the androconia covers a big part of male wings.
Similar species
When it stretches the wings, it can be confused with the Gatekeeper and the Southern Gatekeeper, but both of these species miss a series of the eyespots on the hindwing, among other differences.
Biology and Habitat
There is only one generation which flies from March to September, something which depends on the altitude of the place. They are more active in May and June.
It is common and rather numerous in forests and woodland. In dense forests, it looks for clear areas, such as paths or forest tracks. At midday, when it is rather hot, it rests in shady areas. There can be dozens of butterflies resting or drinking on the flowers of the Helychrisum stoechas or Teucrium lusitanicum. Nevertheless, these are not its caterpillars' foodplants, but gramineous plants, or grasses, such as Mediterranean False-brome (Brachypodium retusum) and Purple False-brome (Brachypodium phoenicoides), or Rough Meadow-grass (Poa trivialis).
Distribution in the Great Path
It is rather common along the GMP, especially along the stages with wide forests. It cannot be seen on the coastal stages and in more decaying stretches in the north part of the province, which do not go through woods or forests.