Date Published: 14/06/2019

ARCHIVED - Lorca castle joins butterfly breeding ground network

Native vegetation will provide ideal feeding and breeding ground for butterflies at the Fortaleza del Sol

Lorca castle and the hillside on which the 13^th-century fortress stands above the city have been incorporated into a national network of “butterfly oases”, the aim of which is to encourage the breeding of butterflies in the wild at locations frequently visited by members of the public.

The “Fortress of the Sun” thus becomes the first place in the Region of Murcia to join the Zerynthia Association for the protection of butterflies in Spain, which promotes the planting of vegetation chosen to allow butterflies to feed on the plants’ leaves when they are caterpillars and the flowers when they develop into adult butterflies. Some of this vegetation already exists around the castle, and more will be added at a location which is described as being perfect for the observation of butterflies: this is because the behaviour of species such as the painted lady, the swallowtail and the southern swallowtail is characterized by “hill-topping”, meaning that they tend to gather on higher ground.

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