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Petaloudes

A municipal unit in Rhodes, Greece, associated with "the valley of the butterflies."

Municipal unit in Greece

Petaloudes Πεταλούδες
Municipal unit
Euplagia quadripunctaria rhodosensis resting on an Oriental sweetgum (Liquidambar orientalis) tree trunk in the valley
36°25′N 28°07′E / 36.417°N 28.117°E / 36.417; 28.117
Country	Greece
Administrative region	South Aegean
Regional unit	Rhodes
Municipality	Rhodes
Area
• Municipal unit	89.2 km² (34.4 sq mi)
Population (2021)^[1]
• Municipal unit	15,086
• Municipal unit density	170/km² (440/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

Petaloudes (Greek: Πεταλούδες) is a former municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is a municipal unit.^[2] Its population was 15,086 in 221. It includes the villages of Kremasti, Paradisi, Theologos (Tholos), Damatria, Maritsa, and Pastida. The seat of the municipality was in Kremasti. The land area is 89.150 km².^[3]

The Petaloudes Valley (sometimes known as Valley of the Butterflies) is home to thousands of the Rhodes subspecies of the Jersey tiger moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria rhodosensis) that cover the entire landscape after the wet season (late May) due to the high humidity in the area. The Oriental sweetgum trees in Petaloudes Valley give off a scent that attracts the moths and creates a unique biotope. Owing to the increased number of visitors, the Euplagia are facing population issues as they have no stomach and when disturbed tend to fly frequently and thus deplete their energy.

Gallery

Waterfall at Petaloudes valley
Forest at Petaloudes valley
Landscape at Petaloudes valley
Landscape at Petaloudes valley

In popular culture

The valley and its unique ecology play a key role in Race of Scorpions, Book Three in Dorothy Dunnett's House of Niccolo series of historical novels.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Petaloudes.

The Valley of the Butterflies

References

^ "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
^ "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
^ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.