November 2003

How green is Aeshna viridis?

Jaap Bouwman & Dick Groenendijk

The dragonfly Aeshna viridis has received widespread publicity in the
Netherlands this year, and as a result many sightings have been reported.
However, this rare and endangered species can easily be confused with other dragonflies. To avoid incorrect recording, it is important that observers are able to
distinguish between A. viridis and species that closely resemble it. The species
that cause the most confusion are A. mixta and A. cyanea. The biology of each species is given, together with a comparative list of characteristics for making identification easier.

Cacyreus marshalli is now breeding in the Netherlands

Jaap Poot, Cun Wijnen & Kars Veling

After only an incidental sighting of Cacyreus marshalli in the Netherlands in 1999, many individuals of this butterfly were seen in the summer of 2003. Butterflies laid eggs on geraniums in two different locations and ten days later, caterpillars emerged. This remarkable phenomenon has not been recorded here before. It shows that this Mediterranean species is able to reach the Netherlands and to breed here during warm summers.

Endangered butterfly paradise in the Levant

Joep Steur

In Lebanon, large scale deforestation and increasing urbanisation is
threatening the natural flora and fauna. Therefore, to save this precious wildlife, the
Lebanese government has created seven nature reserves. One of them, Horsh Ehden, is situated in a mountainous region north of Beirut. Its flora and fauna is rich and diverse, and in spite of its protected status, still threatened. The organisation Friends of Horsh Ehden carries out much important conservation work. There is a large number of butterfly species, including interesting ones, such as Polyommatus syriacus and the striking Parnassius mnemosyne sheljuzhkoi. A detailed overview of the butterflies is given.

A four-leaved clover

Tom Verschraegen, Wouter Vanreusel, Jorg Lambrechts & Dirk Maes

A recent increase in the numbers of four rare grassland butterflies
is discussed. The Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages), Wood White (Leptidea
sinapis), Small Blue (Cupido minimus) and Mazarine Blue (Polyommatus
semiargus) are all endangered in Flanders, and have clover species as their food plant.
In 2002 and 2003, many individuals were observed along the calcareous banks of
the Albert Canal, in the south-east of Belgian Limburg. The ranges of these four species seem to be expanding northwards. It is not clear whether this encouraging development is the result of an increase in the size of the source colonies, or because more of their food plants are suitably situated due to global warming.