Graylings, Southern Spain (1 Viewer)

I'm hopeless with graylings and they never seem to look like the illustrations in my Collins anyway, so would I be right with my guess that these are Striped grayling, Tree grayling and Rock grayling/

They were all seen last week in mountain areas around Ronda in SW Spain.

Agree with the Striped grayling. The 2nd I'm not sure - but it looks like I would imagine a worn Tree Grayling to look like, I've only seen fresh looking ones. No idea on the third...not seen Rock.

Agree with Striped for 1 + Rock for 3. Will pass on 2.

Based on the size and shape of the eye spot which is almost oval, 2 must be Tree?


A

andyadcock said:

Based on the size and shape of the eye spot which is almost oval, 2 must be Tree?


A

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Also the spot on the hind wing seems to fit.

Here's a fresh one I found from the western Algarve in June, 2006 to compare.

Definitely Striped, Tree and Rock Graylings. Tree are quite variable in the intensity of the underwing markings (not related to wear), and the females especially can be quite pale.
Simon, yours, from the Algarve is a Grayling (semele), the hindwing pattern is typical. Potencially a female, due to the wing proportions (very wide/long hindwings). I'm trying to catch up with older posts after a period of absence

RafaelMatias said:

Simon, yours, from the Algarve is a Grayling (semele), the hindwing pattern is typical. Potencially a female, due to the wing proportions (very wide/long hindwings). I'm trying to catch up with older posts after a period of absence

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Thanks Rafael, though I'm not happy :-O I'd had that photo down for years as Tree Grayling, very shoddy. In my defence, none of the literature I've looked at have it as occuring in the west Algarve - though I'm assuming that there is information now? Mind you, looking now I don't know why I had it down as a Tree, as they are quite different. I have seen them sometimes and only managed a couple of shoddy photos whereas Striped Grayling seems much more abundant here. Now I know there are 3 potential species here not 2. Just to clear it up for me; Rock Grayling and Grayling are the same thing, aren't they? :brains:

But you should be happy Simon The Grayling record in the Algarve is a monster record, IMO. I don't know of other records there, but it's possible other people have such info (e.g. Nelson Fonseca, Eduardo Marabuto). According to the info I have, Lagoa de Santo André is the southern limit (as an isolated record) for the species, and Grayling is only regular and common north of the Tagus (north of Santarém). So it's really much better than a Tree Grayling record! Where exactly did you see that one, did you keep a note? Were there more?
Rock Grayling (Hipparchia hermione or alcyone, depending on the author) and Grayling (Hipparchia semele) are really different species, perhaps Grayling should be called Common Grayling to avoid confusions. Grayling is a smaller species (Rock is quite large actually), and although the underwing (hindwing) pattern is a bit similar between both, you'll notice the shallower shape of the dark discal band on Rock, and a longer wedge shape on (Common) Grayling; the underside of the front wings is very different though, being usually of a bright and beautiful orange tone (buffish to orangish) on the basal area on Grayling, and very dark brown on Rock, but the front wings are often hidden, or not fully exposed. Rock is only present north of the Tagus, and is scarcer than Grayling.

Check here for the colour pattern of the underside of the frontwings:
http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Hipparchia_Semele
http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Hipparchia_Alcyone

Striped Grayling is the default species in the Algarve.

RafaelMatias said:

But you should be happy Simon The Grayling record in the Algarve is a monster record, IMO. ....Where exactly did you see that one, did you keep a note? Were there more?

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Oh, what a blunder IIRC I saw this single individual in 2006 during some field work in the Aljezur area - where exactly I can't recall but soon I will trawl through stuff deep in my computer, which together with the photo's date may give a precise location.

Thanks very much Rafael :t:

Rafael, I obviously didn't remember correctly. The photo was taken on 10th June, 2006 and was during field work in Serra da Açor (near Serra da Estrela!) - and I had noted it correctly at the time and mentioned on a spreadsheet as H.semele. I must have Ideed the photo incorrectly afterwards sometime and got mixed up. Anyway, really sorry for all the drama! I did see some other nice butterflies that day like Purple-shot Copper, Silver-studded Blue and Dusky Heath.

This Grayling was taken near Sabugal, Portugal - it is a Grayling (H.semele) isn't it ?

Simon Wates said:

Rafael, I obviously didn't remember correctly. The photo was taken on 10th June, 2006 and was during field work in Serra da Açor (near Serra da Estrela!) - and I had noted it correctly at the time and mentioned on a spreadsheet as H.semele. I must have Ideed the photo incorrectly afterwards sometime and got mixed up. Anyway, really sorry for all the drama! I did see some other nice butterflies that day like Purple-shot Copper, Silver-studded Blue and Dusky Heath.

This Grayling was taken near Sabugal, Portugal - it is a Grayling (H.semele) isn't it ?

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Ah, that makes sense now! It would be in fact amazing had it been in the Algarve. Serra do Açor is a great place also for other species such as Iberian Sooty Copper, Brown Hairstreak and also Rock Grayling.
This new pic is also a Grayling, yes :t:

RafaelMatias said:

Ah, that makes sense now! It would be in fact amazing had it been in the Algarve. Serra do Açor is a great place also for other species such as Iberian Sooty Copper, Brown Hairstreak and also Rock Grayling.
This new pic is also a Grayling, yes :t:

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Thanks Rafael - that's my ambiguous Graylings sorted and thanks for the links, which makes things much easier now. I could have spent longer in Serra do Açor, Lorquin's Blue and Queen of Spain Fritillary were other good ones.