Rhodes and its Butterflies

Rhodes and its Butterflies On the wing in May 2001

by Rob Parker

This note summarises the butterflies (and other beasties) seen on holiday in Rhodes from 2-16 May 2001. There were some interesting butterfly observations, but most of the period was blighted by strong winds. In all, I saw 24 confirmed species; not bad for May. I had done my research conscientiously from Alain Olivier's authoritative and comprehensive 1993 work on the butterflies of Rhodes, so I knew what I was looking for.

We arrived to find very hot, calm weather, with butterflies everywhere. On 3/4 May, there were large numbers of Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui) nectaring at sea level. The thistles were abundant, shoulder-high, and in flower, but attracted less attention than garden plants such as choysia, lantana, and the wild scabious, which were all loaded with cardui - though in dozens, rather than thousands. All of them were very well worn, some almost colourless, others very damaged. A high proportion were small specimens, including some of the smallest dwarf-forms I have ever seen. Their presence was consistent with them being the remnants of the 22 Mar migration through Cyprus, but there was no sign of any further wandering intent. The storms that flooded south Turkey gave us gales, afi:er which the cardui numbers at sea level reduced dramatically (2 specific site counts reduced from I 00 to 4, and from 48 to 2). In the high hills, however, they were still present in good numbers on 14 Maynectaring and chasing, but not migrating. Almost as abundant, was another migrant species - the Large White (Pieris brassicae). In contrast, these were all in very fresh condition, and full of joie de vivre. Flurries of 6 or 7 were chasing one another, in aerobatic manoeuvres along the cliffs. Almost all of them were impressively large, and boldly marked. There were small numbers of Bath Whites (Pontia edusa), and in one spot I found 2 Dappled Whites (Euchloe ausonia). Small Whites (Pieris rapae) were quite scarce, I doubt I saw more than 6 in the whole stay. On the first morning, just outside the hotel, I saw a couple of "brimstones", and was pleased that one settled helpfully, so that I could confirm that it was a male Powdered Brimstone (Gonepteryx farinosa) - a new species for me. I did not see Rhodes' other brimstone - the Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra) until I visited the high ground on 14 May. Clouded Yellows (Colias crocea) were common throughout, with about 6 of the pale female form, f - helice seen. Our hotel at Kalithea was nicely placed on the east coast, just south of Rhodes town, and with direct access to some herb rich clifftops. My favourite spot was a wind-free glade where I found more Lycaenids and Hesperids than anywhere else. I was looking for Chapman's Blue (Polyommatus thersites), but all the blues I managed to catch here were the Common Blue (P. icarus). One male Lesser Fiery Copper (Lycaena thersamon) stood out from the Small Coppers (L. phlaeas). The most abundant skipper was the Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon), and I spent a lot of time looking at them to see ifT. hyrax was there (it has only been recorded once from the island). I was left to conclude that acteon is quite variable, and the 2 species are extremely difficult to separate in the field. The Pigmy Skipper (Gegenes pumilio) was still around, but worn, whilst the Orbed Red-underwing Skipper (Spialia orbifer) seemed to be fresh, and I did not find it elsewhere. Scarce Swallowtails (Iphiclides podalirius) floated around the same glade, and later I got a

good view of an "ordinary" Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), which had found a clump offennel on which to lay. It left 4 eggs whilst being photographed. Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) kept making bold appearances, but were never present in any numbers. Hummingbird Hawk moths (Macroglossum stellatarum) added variety, as did the less common Crimson Speckled Footman (Utetheisa pulchella). Putting the patio light on at night brought in another hawkmoth, which I recognised as Deilephila alecto - a "Mediterranean Elephant Hawk". We travelled quite widely by hire car, but did not add many species because the strong winds were inhibiting flight. By 9May, I found another skipper at Stegna; the Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae), and later the same day in another sheltered coastal spot near Haraki, I was pleased ro see a fresh Philotes vicrama - shall we call it the Eastern Baton Blue? This is a species that has evaded me for years. It is found in Cyprus, and flies around thyme, generally in places that I am not visiting. On this occasion I was able to get a good look as it sheltered in the lee of a rock. After that one sighting, it was back to normal- every other blue was a Common Blue. We vis_ited Rhodes' famous ''Butteifly Valley" - Petaloudes (the word means butterflies in Greek), just to see it, knowing full well that the "butteiflies", which are Jersey Tiger moths (Euplagia quadripunctaria), would not be taking up summer residence there until mid June. The valley has year-round water, and the Liquidamber tree, a variety of plane, which attracts the moths to assemble on its trunk, presumably to feed from some sort of sap. A small museum has just opened there, with some good displays on the ecology of quadripunctaria, a case oflepidoptera and coleoptera of Rhodes, incomplete and unlabelled, and a display of butterflies of Greece. These were named, mostly with the right labels! Although we did not see any living Jersey Tigers, we did find one Cream Spot Tiger (Arctia villica) back at the hotel. There were plenty of the local variety of the Meadow Brown (Maniola telmessia) everywhere, but in the first few days they were all males. The much larger and more orange females were in evidence by the end of my stay, by which time telmessia had taken over as the most abundant butterfly in most places. The other Browns were not much in evidence - one Wall (Lassiommata megera) caught inside the hotel, and one Large Wall Brown (Lassiommata maera) at the base of the enormous concrete cross at Filimeros. It was too early for the Graylings. I failed to find any White-banded Graylings (P. anthelea), which was a disappointment, especially as I now see that a colleague has had them on the wing since 5 May in Cyprus. I was at the right locality, below Mt Attavyros, in very suitable habitat at 350m, and saw Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) and Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi) there as a consolation prize. This was on 14 May, as I delayed this search until the end of my stay. By this time, the crataegi were in very worn condition (I saw 6), though the polychloros (4) were bright and flying strongly. At sea level, there had been plenry of beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, shield bugs, bush cricke_ts and a single praying mantis, but up Mt Attavyaros I found a species of cricket that I had not seen before. It was boldly marked, with a ''chequerboard" effect from a series of spots on its broad back, and seemed to have been liberally dispersed, with 6 to each shrub. With scenery, antiquiry and tranquilliry, Rhodes has a lot to offer as a holiday spot. I found 50% of its 48 butterfly species, which is a satisfying result for two weeks in May. On the morning we left, I was treated to a flying display by a group of Bee-eaters, swooping off their perches and down into the insects over the meadow.

Reference: Olivier A., 1993, "The Butteif/ies of the Greek island of Rodas: Taxonomy, Faunistics, Ecology and Phenology". Antwerpen. Vlaamse Vereniging voor Entomologie.