Results:
A total of 156 butterfly individuals (85 rural and 71 urban) from 14
species, 1,668 bird individuals (511 rural and 1157 urban) from 12
species, and a 15 ± 0.9 (mean ± standard error) percentage cover of
plants from 115 species (220 rural and 189 urban) were recorded across
the 18 study sites. The three most abundant butterfly species in rural
sites were Freyer’s grayling (Hipparchia fatua Freyer, 1844; 42
in rural, 7 in urban), meadow brown (Maniola jurtina L., 1758; 15
in rural, 2 in urban), and the large jewel blue (Plebejidea
loewii Zelter, 1847; 12 in rural; 3 in urban; Figure 3A). The three
most abundant butterfly species in urban sites were the mallow skipper
(Carcharodus alceae Esper, 1780; 21 in urban; 0 in rural), scarce
swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius L., 1758; 20 in urban, 1 in
rural), and geranium bronze (Cacyreus marshalli Butler, 1898; 8
in urban; 0 in rural; Figure 3B). The most abundant bird species in
rural sites was the hooded crow (Corvus cornix L., 1758; 243 in
rural, 152 in urban; Figure 3C), the most abundant bird species in urban
sites was the house sparrow (Passer domesticus L., 1758; 559 in
urban, 29 in rural; Figure 3D), while the yellow-legged gull was also
dominant in both habitat types (Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840;
277 in urban, 152 in rural; Figure 3C-D). The most abundant vegetation
species in rural sites was desert saltgrass (Distichlis spicata Greene, 1887; covering 23.6% in rural sites; 1.0% in urban; Figure
3E), the most abundant vegetation species in urban sites was barley
(Hordeum vulgare L., 1753; covering 10.6% in urban sites; 0.9%
in rural; Figure 3F), while mastic shrub (Pistacia lentiscus L.,
1753; covering 14.3% in rural sites; 6.0% in urban) and slender wild
oat (Avena barbata Link, 1799; covering 8.1% in rural sites;
9.7% in urban) were also dominant in both habitat types (Figure 3E-F).