In little more than an hour's walk, biologist Rosa Betancort counts eighty butterflies on the Islote del Mojón, a patch of ancient land surrounded by a sea of lava where plants grow that provide both food and breeding grounds for these pollinating insects. ****
Since 2019 the Timanfaya National Park, managed by the Regional Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands, has taken part in the butterfly monitoring programme of the National Parks Network. Sampling is carried out in spring, from March to June, and in autumn, during September and October, always on the Montaña de Mazo and the Islote del Mojón. ****
In Timanfaya, the only essentially geological national park in Spain, the three most abundant butterfly species are Vanessa cardui (almost 80% of the records), Polyommatus celina and Colias crocea. ****
At the end of the summer, the painted lady sets off on an extremely long journey of 12,000 kilometres in search of a favourable climate and resources to feed on. Its route is similar to that of some birds, except that it needs six generations to complete it, breeding at every 'stopover': it takes flight in Europe, crosses the Mediterranean, traverses the Sahara Desert and reaches tropical Africa in autumn. It remains in the Canary Islands and the sub-Saharan region throughout the winter months. When temperatures begin to rise, the offspring of these butterflies fly back towards Europe. ****
"In a year when it doesn't rain, the plants where butterflies complete their breeding cycle don't come up. The adults feed on nectar, water and minerals from the soil - it's very common to see them licking mud to take in minerals - but the caterpillars feed exclusively on leaves," the biologist explains. ****
Butterflies are particularly "sensitive to pollution". The healthier an ecosystem is, the more these pollinating insects will thrive, and they in turn form part of the diet of numerous birds. ****
The bright violet-blue of Polyommatus celina, a butterfly found only on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, is the colour displayed by the males to attract females and mate with them. Its pupae feed on the leaves of the chabusquillo (Astragalus solandri), the corazoncillo (Lotus lancerottensis) and clover (Trifolium campestre). ****
Yellow with a dark band along the edge of the wing, Colias crocea is native to the Canary Islands and the third most abundant butterfly in the Lanzarote national park. Its caterpillar feeds on the leaves of the corazoncillo (Lotus lancerottensis).****
"Butterflies are identified by their colour pattern and wing markings. Once contact has been established, the pheromones released by the male play a decisive role in reproduction," the scientist explains. ****
Their wings are covered in tiny scales which, like the tiles on a roof, form patterns that help them to camouflage themselves or find a mate. Handling them can cause these scales to come away, affecting functions that are essential to the animal's survival. The best way to enjoy a butterfly is to watch it from a distance and let it carry on flying.