Unexpected rare butterfly at a Barium mine! The famous Spanish Argus in Catalonia: 20 July 2025 скачать в хорошем качестве

Unexpected rare butterfly at a Barium mine! The famous Spanish Argus in Catalonia: 20 July 2025

Colonies of the Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis) have been widely separated since the last ice age. In fact there are just a few dozen colonies in Spain now, with one or two just over the Pyrenees in southern France. The caterpillars feed on an unusual member (genus) of the Geranium family: Erodium (Black-eyed Stork's Bill) which grows on rocky screes, mimicked by mine spoil areas. The site filmed is the only one for 20 miles at least, lying quite high at 1950 metres above sea level, in part of the Cadi Moixera National Park. For this reason, the adult Spanish Argus is not expected out until the beginning of August, but I was extremely fortunate to see and video the very first individual out, in the July sunshine. This butterfly is my 164th European species and, being a rare virtual endemic to Spain, is one of my favourites.