Species lists (birds, dragonflies, etc)

BIRDS
DRAGONFLIES
BUTTERFLIES
OTHER INSECTS
MAMMALS
REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS
ORCHIDS

A list of other insects of Lesvos

Thread-winged Lacewing Nemoptera sinuata, Lesvos, May 2007

Mole Cricket Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa
‘Ephippiger’ Bush-cricket Ephippiger ephippiger
Egyptian Grasshopper Anacridium aegyptiacum
‘Red-winged’ Grasshopper Oedipoda germanica
‘Blue-winged’ Grasshopper Oedipoda caerulans
‘Stick’ grasshopper sp. Acrida ungarica
Praying Mantis Iris oratoria
Mantid sp. Ameles spallanziana
Mantid sp. Empusa fasciata
Lesvos Cicada Cicada orni lesbosiensis (Lesvos endemic)
Giant Peacock Moth Saturnia pyri
Oleander Hawkmoth Daphnis nerii
Hummingbird Hawkmoth Macroglossum stellatarum
Cream-spotted Tiger Arctia villica
Violet Carpenter Bee Xylocarpus violacea
Great Potter Wasp Delta unguiculata
Antlion sp. Palpares libelluloides
Thread-winged Lacewing Nemoptera sinuata

A list of the butterflies of Lesvos

Southern Comma Polygomum egea, Lesvos May 2007

I've tried to find photos on the web of insects photographed on Lesvos. Mike Maunder's (Lesvos Walks) has a good selection but he has mis-identified several (which I've told him about!) so please ignore some of his labels!

Swallowtail Papilio machaon
Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius
Eastern Festoon Zerny cerisyi
False Apollo Archon appollinus
Large White Pieris brassicae
Small White Pieris rapae
Southern Small White Artogeia mannii
Bath White Pontia daplidice
Eastern Bath White Pontia edusa
Small Bath White Pontia chloridice
Eastern Dappled White Euchloe ausonia
Eastern Wood White Leptidea duponcheli
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines
Clouded Yellow Colias croceus
Cleopatra Gonepteryx cleopatra
Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus
Nettle-tree Butterfly Libythea celtis
Plain Tiger Danaus chrysippus
Southern White Admiral Limenitis reducta
Large Tortoiseshell Nymphalis polychloros

Peacock Inachis io
Red Admiral Venessa atalanta
Painted Lady Cynthia cardui
Southern Comma Polygomum egea
Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia
Cardinal Argynnis pandora

Marbled Fritillary Brenthis daphne

Knapweed Fritillary Melitaea phoebe
Spotted Fritillary Melitaea didyma
Lesser Spotted Fritillary Melitaea trivia
Marbled White Melanargia galathea
Balkan Marbled White Melanargia larissa
Southern Grayling Hipparchia aristaeus

Eastern Rock Grayling Hipparchia alcyone
White-banded Grayling Pseudochazara anthelea

Common Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
Lesvos Meadow Brown Maniola megala (Lesvos endemic)
Turkish Meadow Brown Maniola telmessia
Wall Brown Lasiommata megera
Large Wall Brown Lasiommata maera
Lattice Brown Kirinia roxelana

Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus
Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Scarce Copper Lycaena virgauraea
Grecian Copper Lycaena ottomana
Lesser Fiery Copper Lycaena thersamon
Green-underside Blue Glaucopsyche alexis
Amanda's Blue Agrodiaetus amanda
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
Brown Argus Aricia agestis
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
Mediterranean Skipper Gegenes nostrodamus
Orbed Red-underwing Skipper Spialia orbifer
Oriental Marbled Skipper Carcharodus orientalis

A checklist of the dragonflies of Lesvos

Odalisque, Achladeri, Lesvos, April 2002
© Steve Dudley (Athene/Todsnatcher.com)

As a dragonfly enthusiast (see Watching British Dragonflies) I have often found dragonfly-watching on Lesvos a little frustrating. But over the years I have realised this is largely down to the times I visit - mid- to late April, before many species have taken to the wing, and mid- to late September, when due to lack of surface water, insects are less evident. My stays in to May have yielded more species and others I know staying into late May report even more species and greater numbers on the wing.

REFERENCES USED TO COMPILE THIS CHECKLIST
Die libellenfauna der Insel Lesbos (the dragonfly fauna of the island of Lesbos). Naturkundliche Reiseberichte 3. Lopau, W. Gnarrenburg 1995.

The Dragonflies of Lesbos. Bowers. J. Freinds of Lesbos. 2008.
Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe. Dijkstra, K-D B & Lewington, R. 2006. British Wildlife Publishing, Gillingham, Dorset.

ENGLISH NAMES

English names are those used in Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe. The first English name is the new international English name as used in the above title. The second English name is the existing vernacular name.

FLIGHT TIMES
Flight times are those given in the above guide for ‘Europe’, so flight periods on Lesvos will vary and most species will be affected by the water levels (and lack of water during some months). The flight periods for some species have been refined (thanks to Vincent Kalkman).

SPECIES LIST

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens mingrelica
May - Sep.

Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo festiva
May - Sep.

Odalisque Epallage fatime
Apr - Aug.

Robust Spreadwing Lestes dryas
Scarce Emerald Damselfly
Apr – Oct.

Migrant Spreadwing Lestes barbarus
Southern Emerald Damselfly
Mar – Oct.

Small Spreadwing Lestes virens
Small Emerald Damselfly
Apr - Nov.

Dark Spreadwing Lestes macrostigma
Mar – Oct.

Eastern Willow Spreadwing Lestes parvidens
May – Nov.

Common Winter Damselfly Sympecma fusca
Winter Damselfly
All year.

Common Bluetail Ischnura elegans
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Mar - Nov.

Small Bluetail Ischnura pumilio
Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly
Mar - Oct.

Common Bluet Enallagma cyathigerum
Common Blue Damselfly
May - Oct.

Dainty Bluet Coenagrion scitulum
Dainty Damselfly
Apr - Sep.

Small Red Damsel Ceriagrion tenellum
Small Red Damselfly
June - Sep.

Small Redeye Erythromma viridulum
Small Red-eyed Damselfly
May - Sep.

Blue Redeye Erythromma lindenii
Goblet-marked Damselfly
Mar - Oct.

Blue Featherlegs Platycnemis pennipes
White-legged Damselfly
May - Sep.

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta
May - Dec.

Blue-eyed Hawker Aeshna affinis
Southern Migrant Hawker
May - Oct.

Green-eyed Hawker Aeshna isosceles antehumeralis
Norfolk Hawker
May - Aug.

Blue Emperor Anax imperator
Emperor Dragonfly
Mar - Dec.

Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope
Mar - Nov.

Vagrant Emperor Anax ephippiger
Mar - Nov.

Hairy Hawker Brachytron pratense
Hairy Dragonfly
Mar - Aug.

Eastern Spectre Caliaeschna microstigma
May - Oct.

Turkish Clubtail Gomphus schneiderii
Apr - Jul.

Small Pincertail Onychogomphus forcipatus albistibalis
Green-eyed Hooktail
May - Sep.

Turkish Goldenring Cordulegaster picta
May - Aug.

Blue-eyed Goldenring Cordulegaster insignis
May - Aug.

Yellow-spotted Emerald Somotochlora flavomaculata
May - Aug.

Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa
Apr - Aug.

Blue Chaser Libellula fulva
Scarce Chaser
May - Aug.

Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
Apr - Sep.

Southern Skimmer Orthetrum brunneum
Apr - Sep.

Epaulet Skimmer Orthetrum chrysostigma
Apr - Aug.

Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens anceps (O. ramburii)
Apr - Nov.

Small Skimmer Orthetrum taeniolatum
May - Sep.

Male

Female


Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii
Mar - Nov.

Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum
May - Nov.

Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Apr - Nov.

Southern Darter Sympetrum meridionale
May - Nov.

Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea
Scarlet Darter
Apr - Sep.

Violet Dropwing Trithemis annulata
Violet-marked Darter
Apr - Oct.

Black Pennant Selysiothemis nigra
May - Sep.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My thanks to Vincent Kalkman and Wolfgang Lopau.