This is a blast from the past in many ways for me. I've just finished scanning 6000+ slides and inevitably the task is raising a few (?) questions ... All I have in my database for this butterfly is that I took the shot in summer 1990 in Luxembourg. I can't remember whether it was free flying or in ...

Thanks to all for the help, I'm very grateful. This is the only place in the world that draws us back year after year and although we go primarily for the birds you can't ignore nature's other beauties. Next year will be our twentieth so we're going in late May, as soon as the snow melts, as well as...

Thanks Guy. If it's not easy for your chaps then I don't feel quite so bad at not being able to pin it down from the book. Does this help?

David

Hello Chris,
Thanks for all that, at least I found the right genus! The best estimate of altitude from my map would be 1600 metres +- 100 - does that narrow it down further?
ATB
David

After more Collins and Google I've found ringlets! Crikey, how do you separate them, it seems worse than some warbler species in my world of birds. As far as I can see, from my very limited experience and less knowledge, it might be an Autumn or a Gavarnie but I really need an expert to help here, b...

Thanks, dilettante, at first I thought, Where are the red "roundels"?
I can see, now that they are hidden by the front wing. We're getting there, how about "my" Scotch Argus?

Thanks, Russ,
It's dead easy when someone tells you which page to look at! And thanks for confirming that 4 & 5 are the same bf.
David

Hello all, Another year passes and I am here again to ask for help with identifying butterflies seen in the mountains in a very hot period from late August to mid September. In the first picture _DLB5317.jpg am I right in saying Queen of Spain Fritillary for the one on the left? Even if I am right t...

Thanks, Guy. I latched on to the "eye spots" which seemed to fir my picture of a Wall. Now I look at S Wood I can see the patterns. I see what you mean about colour variation.

David

Hello again. I saw this smart little chap beside a wetland in southern Sicily last week and would appreciate help with identification. Last time I got cocky and said, "I think it's ..." I was miles off, but I'll try again just to prove that I have tried the books myself. Peeps over parapet...

Many thanks, Chris and Guy. I can forgive my own confusion because my shot is very like the 11 Aug on your site, Chris but when I Googled Meadow Fritillary I found lots of images with very heavy dark spots on the upper wings. It just what my meagre experience level is my thanks for all the help I've...

Hello again, Sorry, this isn't the sharpest picture I've ever made but it was snatched and was the only one before it flew off. Seen in the French Pyrenees in September 15. I thought at first it was a Queen of Spain Fritillary but as I look more I see the absence of dark spots on the upper wings so ...

Thanks, Guy, helpful as always. Food for thought - before Internet forums like this most of our ID questions would be "solved" by browsing books and magazines. I wonder how many of the verdicts were correct - there is nothing better than drawing on the advice of someone with greater experi...

OK, now I've had a minute to digest the comments and read about the species, I have a question. This site refers to the possibility of a "split" with 2 species, Western and Mountain, but makes no comment on visual differences (if any) - my butterfly was at about 2000m, would that make it &...

Many thanks to all, and if you've gained this skill in only 6 years, well done to David. I've been bird watching for over 30 years and posted a warbler from this trip on a site similar to this as I thought it was (a) but a friend suggested (b) then all those more familiar with the species pointed ou...

Hello again, I'm hoping I've not exhausted my welcome here but I've just returned from the French side of the mountains and this was my first Spring visit for many years. I have done some research, honest, and have some certain Ids but there are still some I'm not sure of and I'd be grateful for any...

Thanks, Tony, I'm off to the pub 'cos I got one right! I started here by simply asking what things were, then became a little more confident (cocky?) and said what I thought they were but always wrong...
We're never too old to stop learning or taking an interest.
Thanks again,
David

Doing some gardening today (Lincs UK) and found this chap in an oak tree. I've tried Google and am thinking that it's a sort of Tussock Moth - or am I barking up the wrong tree? Apart from the colour and that "tail" the most noticeable feature was the gloss black bodywork between the segme...

Thanks, Guy, that's really helpful just like this forum always is.

Many thanks for that, Chris, in today's post was my county trust magazine with a small feature on the Marbled White and I saw the similarity there. But, somehow, you expect different species when in other countries, even though that's quite wrong when you think about it. I'll await confirmation of t...