Hi cjs

Looks like Chalk Hill to me. In my part of the country (Hampshire) they are a lot more common than Adonis.

Cheers, Rupert

I can't claim any particular expertise, but this looks quite similar to a number of photos I submitted under the "Vercors Pyrgus" thread a few down. The conclusion in those cases was either Large Grizzled alveus or Olive serratulae.

I found this one when cleaning out a nest box today and managed to get a photograph while perched precariously up a ladder trying to manipulate torch and camera to get some focus on it. I had it down as a comma to start off with, but I'm now pretty sure it's a peacock with a bite out of its wing - a...

Thanks once again to both of you. We hadn't visited the area before , but we really enjoyed our stay and recorded 70-odd species in 10 days or so - many of which have been identified with the help of this forum. We did visit the memorial in Vassieux - as you say a reminder both of the bravery and br...

Thanks again, David. Now the final batch. The top two may or may not the same insect. I believe the second is red-underwing skipper spialia sertorius and the first may be as well. The other two are foxing me. The combination of bold forewing and obscure hindwing markings makes me wonder whether they...

OK, thanks for your observations so far. Let's try a few more. I had these three down as carthami (Safflower Skipper). Once again, uppersides only, I'm afraid.

What does anyone think?

Thanks, Rupert

Hi David That's a very good question. From the timings of the photographs, the top two are definitely the same individual, the middle two different from the top two, but may be the same insect; and the bottom two, different from the others, but may be the same as each other, if that makes sense. In ...

I always have a problem with these, as I don't encounter them frequently enough (except for malvae , which occurs close to home) to get a feel for their habitat preferences, flight pattern, preferred nectar sources etc. I also find it quite difficult to get photographs of the underside, as the attac...

Thank you all. I'm pleased that I got the species right, if not all the individual photographs.

The last set of ID challenges from my Vercors trip last year are a number of pyrgus species (which I know you all like ) - I will try and post these soon.

Regards, Rupert

Thank you, gentlemen, for your quick responses (it must be raining as hard where you are as it is here .......). I hadn't thought of hoverflies.

Now, if you want a real challenge, have a look at my post from August 1st (Vercors Browns) - I haven't had any responses to that one.

Regards, Rupert

Hi

I'm trying to identify this handsome creature, photographed at Pitt Down, Hampshire, on 24th August. Is it a lunar hornet moth?

Thanks, Rupert

Hi all A few images from June 2017 in the Vercors area of France (between 800m and 1600m or so, that I'd appreciate opinions on. The first is clearly either female Wall or Large Wall - I am tending towards the latter - form Adastra perhaps? The others are various erebia, to which I have had very lit...

Guy Thanks for your response. There may have been a reason why I went for Grisons rather than Meadow when I first posted this, but if there was, I can't recall what it was (I'm not particularly familiar with either species). One web site states that Grisons is rarely encountered below 2000m and the ...

Hi I posted these back in December but got no responses (everyone must have been hibernating), so I thought I'd try my luck again. All taken in the Vercors reason of France in June 2017. For what it's worth, I think the first may be Grison's, the 2nd is either High Brown or Niobe and the 3rd and 4th...

Thanks to all who helped out with earlier identification of coppers and blues - a few unfamiliar (to me) fritillaries attached. The first two (same insect) I'm pretty sure are Niobe, but I'd welcome confirmation. The third, I believe is either High Brown or Niobe, but I can't tell from the upperside...

John - I had considered Alcon Blue but ruled it out on the basis that the Collins guide classifies it as a wetland species and this one was on a grassy bank at the side of a forested track at approximately 1300m. Having now checked out the Mountain Alcon Blue, I've found out that this is now regarde...

Thanks, both, for your responses. My initial thought was mazarine and I'm not sure now why I changed my view. Did you have any thoughts on those that I'd provisionally labelled as large blue and mountain argus? Secondly we saw a lot of male scarce coppers and it's only when I discovered that there i...

Hi all My wife and I spent a very enjoyable 10 days or so in the Vercors region of France at the end of June. Lovely scenery and lots of butterflies when the sun shone - mostly between 800 and 1800m or so. I've spent some time going through photographs to confirm identification, but there are some I...

Hi both

Thanks for your considered opinions and in particular for the pointers on identifying Chapman's, which hopefully I'll be able to put to good use in the future.

Cheers, Rupert

Hi These 3 were all taken in the Monts d'Espinouse area of the Haut Languedoc in France in September this year. I know the Chapman's Blue is very difficult to separate from the Common, but I'd be interested in any opinions on these (or any pointers on nailed-on identification of the former).. Thanks...