Which butterflies can I see in Gibraltar, and when are they most active?

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More than 30 butterfly species have been recorded in the Nature Reserve, including the two-tailed pasha, Cleopatra, swallowtail and Spanish festoon, and monarchs are now resident. Spring and late summer to autumn are the best times, with September particularly good for the two-tailed pasha.
Gibraltar’s warm climate and position near Africa make it a good place for butterflies. Species recorded in the Nature Reserve include the Cleopatra, the swallowtail, the Spanish festoon, the striped grayling and the cardinal.
The star species is the two-tailed pasha, a large, powerful butterfly of African origin at the northern limit of its range. It has two generations a year, flying in May and June and again from mid-August to mid-October. It is strongly attracted to fermenting fruit and often patrols hilltops, including the top of the Rock. The Botanic Gardens have used butterfly feeding tables with ripe fruit, which draw pashas in the mornings and early afternoons.
The monarch, the famous migratory butterfly of the Americas, has colonised southern Iberia and can now be seen in Gibraltar for much of the year, sometimes even in winter. Look for its caterpillars on milkweed in the Botanic Gardens. Smaller species such as the Andalusian blue, speckled wood and geranium bronze are also common in gardens.
Butterflies are most active on warm, sunny, calm days. The Botanic Gardens and the sheltered paths of the Upper Rock are the best places to look.

Which butterflies can I see in Gibraltar, and when are they most active?

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Where and when