Dusky Heath - Coenonympha dorus

Dusky Heath
Coenonympha dorus

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Málaga, July 2017

Coenonympha dorus

Aragón, July 2017

Coenonympha dorus

Aragón, July 2017

Aragón, Spain, July 2011

Aragón, Spain, July 2011

Aragón, Spain, July 2011, f. microphthalma

Aragón, Spain, July 2011

Aragón, Spain, July 2011

Coenonympha dorus distribution

Distribution

A classic Iberian butterfly, spilling over into the South of France and Italy, the dusky heath is a creature of hot, dusty tracks, bushy wasteland and sun-soaked, rocky hillsides. It is common in Spain - the only country where I've seen it - from the far south to the north, usually to be seen settled on paths or perched on vegetation and twigs near the ground.

Like all heaths, it only ever settles with the underside showing, but fortunately this is quite sufficient for easy identification. Because of the outward displacement of the spot in s.5, the series of postdiscal ocelli appears to form an outwardly concave arc. Inside this there is a white or whitish divivding band, and the ocellus in s.7 lies just inside this band. The ocelli are white-pupilled and orange-ringed and usually conspicuous, though they are smaller in the occasional form microphthalma.

The foodplants are various bent grasses and fescues. The caterpillars hibernate and the adult butterflies fly from June to August. I saw plenty, including fresh butterflies, in the first week of August 2020 in the Málaga region.