Butterflies, damselflies, abandoned church in Italy

17 September 2013. Still in Liguria, Italy, shortly before arrival in the abandoned village Bussare. Two damselflies of the Lestidae family making a heart-shaped figure for mating.

We arrive at Bussare. The streets still have names. In the middle is a small square, with a sign Piazza Cavour, honouring a nineteenth century politician. However, now, in the twenty-first century, I don’t see any human living here.

However, I do see butterflies. Like a male silver-washed fritillary butterfly.

The Roman Catholic church building’s name, “Immaculate Conception“, is still there. Now, however, accompanied by another sign: “For sale”.

We walk back, past Bussare. On a blackberry bush, another beautiful butterfly, one of the biggest species in Europe: a two-tailed pasha.

We go back to the bridge. Now, a hummingbird hawk-moth feeding at the butterfly-bush.

Will there be lizards, or snakes, near the old tyre? Not this time.

Further, in the river: trout and pondskaters.

On the footpath: a male pheasant.

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26 thoughts on “Butterflies, damselflies, abandoned church in Italy”

Sad that the whole city is abandoned. At least the wildlife are enjoying it. Blessings, Natalie

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petrel41 on October 2, 2013 at 8:19 pm said:

Hi Natalie, it is only a small village. At its maximum, decades ago, I think not more than a few hundred people. It is rather stony, so not that easy for agriculture. You can see movement in many countries from the countryside to cities. The valley is indeed good for wildlife, especially insects and reptiles.

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- nataliescarberry on October 2, 2013 at 8:48 pm said:
  
  I figured the reason for the abandonment of its people was economic. I’m glad that at least it’s a place for the wildlife to thrive. 🙂
  
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  - petrel41 on October 2, 2013 at 8:52 pm said:
    
    Yes, walls (and old tyres) are good for wall lizards, and there are flowers everywhere 🙂
    
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    - nataliescarberry on October 2, 2013 at 9:25 pm said:
      
      Sounds like a sweet piece of property to me. 🙂
      
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      - petrel41 on October 2, 2013 at 9:30 pm said:
        
        Yes, it attracts some tourists 🙂
        
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Reblogged this on Voices and Visions.

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petrel41 on October 2, 2013 at 8:19 pm said:

Thanks for reblogging!

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I hardly stop to notice butterflies before. Butterflies, bumble bees, moths, grass hoppers, all sorts of insects… here the only ones they have mosquitoes and annoying insects. Thanks for sharing your perspective. =) You should visit Singapore – they have a gorgeous butterfly park…

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petrel41 on October 2, 2013 at 10:18 pm said:

I had to look at insects and reptiles in Italy, as there were less birds than usually 🙂

Wikipedia says:

“Lepidoptera of Greenland consist of both the Butterflies and Moths recorded from Greenland.

According to a recent estimate, there are a total of 52 Lepidoptera species present in Greenland.”

See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lepidoptera_of_Greenland

But maybe they are rare, and/or in other parts of Greenland than where you live.

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- The Fourth Continent on October 2, 2013 at 10:35 pm said:
  
  I probably don’t notice these things! I will be on the look out next time I am out hiking… they definitely don’t fly by my balcony at least =)
  
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  - petrel41 on October 2, 2013 at 10:51 pm said:
    
    Maybe in summer where flowers grow in Greenland 🙂
    
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You are have a wonderful adventure – I’m enjoying tagging along!

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petrel41 on October 3, 2013 at 12:13 am said:

Thank you … there will be more 🙂

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- Clanmother on October 3, 2013 at 12:37 am said:
  
  Wonderful!!! 🙂
  
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Reblogged this on Oxtapus *beta.

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petrel41 on October 3, 2013 at 6:34 am said:

Thanks for reblogging!

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- oxtapus on October 3, 2013 at 12:40 pm said:
  
  🙂
  
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What a wonderful butterfly (the Pasha). Never seen one in Italy, not anywhere else. In fact, never heard of it before. RH

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petrel41 on October 3, 2013 at 8:40 am said:

Here, it was in maquis shrubland, good habitat for it. It feeds on fruit’s’ liquids; probably the reason why the one on the photo was on a blackberry bush.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charaxes_jasius

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