Saturday, 11 March 2023

Oman Butterflies November 2021

The following butterflies were seen during a birding trip to Oman from 4th-16th of November 2021 with Rob Fray, Gary Howard and Andrew Raine. The vast majority were hastily photographed with a Canon 7D mk2 with the 100-400 mk2 lens. 

The two links below helped with identification although iNaturalist does appear to contain some errors and the Butterflies of Oman book is very outdated. 


A downloadable pdf copy of the 1980 Butterflies of Oman is available here:

Hopefully this resource will prove useful to anyone visiting Oman with an interest in butterflies. If you notice anything which looks incorrect please let me know.

I would like to thank Nigel Peace for confirming/correcting my initial identifications.

Pontia glauconome Desert White 1 - Wadi Al Khoud Recharge Dam

Pontia glauconome Desert White 2 - Al Balid Farm

Pontia glauconome Desert White 2 - Al Balid Farm

Spialia mafa Mafa Sandman (could also be Spialia doris but currently only mafa known to be in range) - Wadi Halinan

Spialia mafa Mafa Sandman (as above) - Wadi Halinan

Taracus rosaceus Mediterranean Tiger Blue 1 - Wadi Halinan

Taracus rosaceus Mediterranean Tiger Blue 2 - Ayn Tobroq

Taracus rosaceus Mediterranean Tiger Blue 3 - Nizwa

Taracus rosaceus Mediterranean Tiger Blue 4 - Sun Farms

Ypthima asterope Common Three-Ring 1 - Tawi Atayr Sink Hole

Ypthima asterope Common Three-Ring 2 -Tawi Atayr Sink Hole

Ypthima asterope Common Three-Ring 3 - Shaat viewpoint

Zizeeria karsandra 1 - Birkit al Mouz

Zizeeria karsandra 2 - Sun Farms

Zizeeria karsandra 3 - Sun Farms

Zizeeria karsandra 4 (or same as 3) - Sun Farms

Zizeeria karsandra 5 - Al Balid Farm

Zizeeria karsandra 6 (may be same as 5) - Al Balid Farm

Zizula hylax Tiny Grass Blue - Ayn Hamran

Charaxes varanes Pearl Charaxes - Ayn Hamran

Colotis liagore Desert Orange Tip - Wadi Halinan

Tarucus balkanica Little Tiger Blue - Khawr Dhurf

Chilades parrhasius Small Cupid 1 - Mudayy

Chilades parrhasius Small Cupid 2 - Haya tip

Chilades parrhasius Small Cupid 3 - Wadi Ash Shuwaymiyyah

Chilades parrhasius Small Cupid 4 - Hayma Services


Chilades parrhasius Small Cupid 5 - Sun Farms

Chilades trochylus Grass Jewel - Ash Shuwaymiyyah

Chilades trochylus Grass Jewel - Ash Shuwaymiyyah

Chilades trochylus Grass Jewel - Ash Shuwaymiyyah

Chilades trochylus Grass Jewel - Ash Shuwaymiyyah

Colotis calais - Khawr Dhurf

Colotis calais - Sun Farms

Colotis liagore Desert Orange Tip 1 - Wadi Halinan

Colotis liagore Desert Orange Tip 1 - Wadi Halinan

Colotis liagore Desert Orange Tip 2 - Birkit al Mouz

Colotis liagore Desert Orange Tip 3 - Birkit al Mouz

Colotis phisadia Blue-Spotted Arab 1 - Ras Al Sawadi

Colotis phisadia Blue-Spotted Arab 1 - Ras Al Sawadi

Colotis phisadia Blue-Spotted Arab 2 - Ras Al Sawadi

Colotis phisadia Blue-Spotted Arab 3 - Mudayy

Colotis phisadia Blue-Spotted Arab 4 - Sun Farms

Eurema hecabe Common Grass Yellow - Ayn Tobroq

Azanus ubaldus Bright Babel Blue - Sun Farms

Gegenes nostrodamus Mediterranean Skipper (could also be Gegenes pumilio but currently only nostrodamus know in range -probably!) - Qitbit motel

Gomalia elma Green-marbled Skipper - Jabal Samhan

Lampides boeticus Pea Blue 1 - Nizwa

Lampides boeticus Pea Blue 2 - Nizwa

Lampides boeticus Pea Blue 3 - Nizwa

Lampides boeticus Pea Blue 4 - Birkit al Mouz

Leptotes pirithous Lang's Short-tailed Blue - Ayn Tobroq

Melanitis leda Common Evening Brown - Ayn Hamran

Nepheronia buqueti buchanani Plain Vagrant - Ayn Tobroq

Vanessa cardui Painted Lady - Al Balid Farm


Pinacopteryx eriphia Zebra White - Ayn Hamran

Danaus chrysippus Plain Tiger 1 -Khawr Dhurf

Danaus chrysippus Plain Tiger 2 - Sun Farms

Danaus chrysippus Plain Tiger 2 - Sun Farms

Charaxes varanes bertrami - Ayn Hamran

Axiocerses harpax Common Scarlet 1 - Jabal Samhan

Axiocerses harpax Common Scarlet 2 - Jabal Samhan

Junonia orithya Blue Pansy 1 - Wadi Halinan

Junonia orithya Blue Pansy 2 - Al Balid Farm

Junonia orithya Blue Pansy 3 - Ayn Hamran

Coeliades anchises One-pip Policeman - Birkit al Mouz

Belenois aurota Pioneer White 1 - Birkit al Mouz

Belenois aurota Pioneer White 1 - Birkit al Mouz

Belenois aurota Pioneer White 2 - Nizwa

Belenois aurota Pioneer White 2 - Nizwa

Belenois aurota Pioneer White 3 - Ayn Tobroq

Belenois aurota Pioneer White 3 - Ayn Tobroq

Papilio demoleus Lime Swallowtail 1 - Al Balid Farm

Papilio demoleus Lime Swallowtail 1 - Al Balid Farm

Papilio demoleus Lime Swallowtail 2 - Wadi al Muaydin

Papilio demoleus Lime Swallowtail 2 - Wadi al Muaydin

Junonia hierta Yellow Pansy 1 - Ayn Hamran

Junonia hierta Yellow Pansy 2 - Ayn Hamran

Catopsilia florella African Migrant - Birkit al Mouz