DAY 102 (16 JULY) – Heartleaf iceplant (Aptenia ‘Red Apple’) (Medina Sidonia, Spain)
This is one of my favourite squares in the province of Cádiz – in the centre of historic Medina Sidonia with the grand town hall in the background. In the foreground, a pot with an ordinary looking succulent and small red daisy-style flowers.
Then a flurry of tiny moths appeared and it got interesting. The plant was difficult to identify but I think it’s an aptenia, native to South Africa but widely seen in warm, coastal areas of the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, California and Australia.
As for the moths, the one I focused on was so small that when it settled I thought I’d got excited by a piece of paper. But my wonderful lens told me otherwise. No idea what it is, but maybe a Spanish carpet moth?
