Paul Selby

This is one of the two last Gatekeeper butterflies in my garden for this year. Still hanging on, but tatty round the edges. They don't normally last until mid-August, so it's been a long flight season given their early emergence this year.

My main target in Moscardón was the Zapata's Ringlet, an endemic in the area. The first day I drew a blank but a couple had been seen.
The second day I saw a couple in the afternoon, on the third day more but none behaved apart from one on a guy called Roberts wrist taking salt.
Blog on lojawildlife

Iberian Sooty Copper (Lycaena bleusei) © Jon Dunn

Some utterly gorgeous Iberian Sooty Copper basking in the morning sunlight heralded the start of our final full day in the Montes Universales yesterday.

Postcard from the field, from tour leader @dunnjons.bsky.social on our final full day of the Butterflies of the Montes Universales tour:

This was a day that included more wonderful views of endemic Zapater's Ringlet, but we were spoilt for choice as other beauties vied for our attention.

Three decades of declines restructure butterfly communities in the Midwestern United States | PNAS Insects are declining worldwide. These declines have been documented across taxonomic groups and are worrisome given ecosystem services provided by...

More bad news for butterflies. Our new paper led by Wendy Leuenberger shows common species are declining even more rapidly than rare ones. @ZipkinLab

Three decades of declines restructure butterfly communities in the Midwestern United States | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2501340122

Anacamptis syriaca © Jon Dunn

Ophrys iricolor © Jon Dunn

Ophrys lapethica © Jon Dunn

Orchis sezikiana © Jon Dunn

It's a guaranteed departure on 2-9 March 2026, and it's also guaranteed to generate a donation to our good friends at @bsbibotany.bsky.social, to help support their vital botanical conservation work. Great orchids, great birds, great reptiles, great butterflies - this tour has it all. (2/2)

Orchis punctulata © Jon Dunn

Ophrys kotschyi © Jon Dunn

Good morning, and welcome to a new week!

Our featured tour this week is Orchids of Cyprus, a marvellous way to start the spring, looking for orchids (and other wildlife) on this warm and friendly island with @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social & Dave Fairhurst. (1/2)

mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

Mother of Pearl Blue (Polyommatus nivescens) © Jon Dunn

Mother of Pearl Blue (Polyommatus nivescens) © Jon Dunn

Mother of Pearl Blue - I will never get bored of these little gems, least of all when they're as fresh as this beauty was early this morning here in the Montes Universales.

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) © Jon Dunn

It goes without saying that we love butterflies of all kinds, regardless of rarity, and take time on our tours to enjoy seeing the various aspects of their life cycles. Yesterday, here in the Montes Universales, a new generation of Silver-spotted Skipper was beginning.

Chuffed to find a small colony of Chalkhill Blue on the Purbeck Ridge. First I have seen here in 5 years of looking. They have vanished from most of Dorset for unknown reasons. Either they are having a good year or I have been very unlucky in previous years! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

You couldn't possibly micro-target this tour to me more effectively than showing that much thistle at once! 👀

YouTube video by Mariposa Nature Tours A thistle patch bursting with butterflies in Hungary

Postcard from the field, from our sun-drenched Pallas's Fritillary and Summer Butterflies of Hungary tour this week:

A roadside stop demonstrates how butterfly-rich this wonderful country is. Dozens of fritillaries in constant motion. Joy!

youtu.be/b13-wDvE3Go

Eastern Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes vicrama) © Jon Dunn

Quick BOC shot before I fall asleep here - a smart, fresh Eastern Baton Blue this afternoon near our hotel here in Hungary. It’s so good to be back in this friendly country - I first came here 30 years ago and, while much has changed in the interim, the butterflies and the warm welcome remain.

Postcard from the field from tour leader @dunnjons.bsky.social, co-leading our Hungarian summer butterflies tour:

We arrived in Hungary this afternoon, so will be getting properly underway tomorrow, with a great weather forecast ahead of us, and hopefully some outbreaks of great #butterflies!

Best of luck co-leading the Hungary holiday @dunnjons.bsky.social

Ended my time in south Spain today with this Plain Tiger. This following my 5th new species in 3 days with Andalucian Anomalous Blue. Back to work tomorrow!

Thanks to @lojawildlife.bsky.social for the help in site identification

Huge thanks to @lojawildlife.bsky.social for joining me on this trip and providing local advice

Kate Humble

Apollo (Parnassius apollo) © Jon Dunn

Hautes Pyrenean landscape © Jon Dunn

We're VERY excited to announce a new tour!

Butterflies of the Hautes Pyrenees with Kate Humble will run 9-16 July 2026, with Kate and Mariposa founders David Moore & Jon Dunn as your hosts to explore one of Europe's most spectacular landscapes. (1/3) #butterflies

mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

Short video of Andalusian anomalous blue Polyommatus violetae in the Sierra Nevada

Thank goodness they are!

Truly overjoyed with finding Nevada Grayling! Almost certainly on its way to extinction in Europe due to climate change. But found 3, clinging on in the high Sierra Nevada in Spain. Never thought I'd see this species! 😍🦋😀. Huge thanks to @lojawildlife.bsky.social for guiding me over the 3 day trip.

After three weeks of tour leading for Team Mariposa, leader @selbypaul.bsky.social has earned a break. Naturally, he's spending that time looking for butterflies! 🦋 #legend

After 3 weeks out of the last 4 guiding @mariposanature.bsky.social holidays, time for my own holiday. In the Sierra Nevada in Spain. Three endemics (Spanish Brassy Ringlet, Nevada Blue & Spanish Red Underwing Skipper) plus the endemic subspecies of Apollo. A great day!

Day 7 of the @mariposanature.bsky.social holiday to the French Alps gave us spectacular views. But also two more butterfly species too. Osiris Blue & Riparts Anomalous Blue takes us to 135 species. Smashing the previous record of 132 for these 8 day trips.

Not kidding!

Beautiful name for a beautiful butterfly

While we saw many other wonderful high altitude species, Day 5 of the @mariposanature.bsky.social French Alps holiday was dominated by Cynthia's Fritillary. Guests were delighted to see so many and so settled. Including male and female together.

Postcard from the field from tour leader @dunnjons.bsky.social:

Our Butterflies of the Hautes Pyrenees tour found some fine Gavarnie Blue today, appropriately, a little way outside Gavarnie itself. More blues, and more fine views, tomorrow!

Dactylorhiza insularis © Michele Viganò

Ophrys ortuabis © Michele Viganò

Led by top Italian biologist Michele Viganò, Orchids of Sardinia is already a guaranteed departure on 11-18 April 2026.

And of course, like all our orchid tours since our very first, it will generate a donation to support the vital conservation work of our friends @bsbibotany.bsky.social. (2/2)

Ophrys panattensis © Michele Viganò

Serapias nurrica © Michele Viganò

🚨New tour alert!🚨

We're delighted to add a special new tour to our growing portfolio of #orchid tours.

Orchids of Sardinia will take guests to the beautiful 'mini-continent' of Sardinia next April - a justly renowned orchid-hunting destination. (1/2)

mariposanature.com/tours/botani...