The Peloponnese would be good. I was based at Kalavryta, near Mt. Chelmos in the first half of June 1986 and saw amongst others: Powdered Brimstone, Lattice Brown, Blue Argus, Pontic Blue, Zephyr Blue, Greek Mazarine Blue (worn- May would probably be better for this), Greek Clouded Yellow, Persian S...

While we're on the subject of the Silver-studded Blue, I have noticed on this site, and elsewhere, photos of this species from Norfolk and Suffolk which strike me as far more distinctive than any of the minor local variants alluded to above. They have unusually narrow dark borders to the male forewi...

Didn't visit a cemetery today, but Red Admirals and a Painted Lady on what's left of the ivy blossom at Boscombe Cliff Gardens.

Misha

Don't speak too soon, Pete. I have recently seen the Maculinea species placed in a genus new to me- Phengaris.

Misha

I too have a photo of escheri from the Spanish Pyrenees with a small spot in the same place.

Misha

Hi Andrew.

Take a look at http://www.oxygastra.org. You can of course read Catalan!

Misha

After viewing more images of telona I'm less and less convinced about the identity of Pete's butterfly. There is an interesting and amusing article on the subject at http://www.lepinet.fr/spip/actualite.php?article17&e=l.

Misha

For no.5 I'd suggest possibly Southern Knapweed Frit., recently separated from the Knapweed, Melitaea telona or ogygia. See http://www.euroleps.ch/seiten/s_telona.htm
Misha

Female Clouded Yellows that open their wings when courted are certainly rejecting the male's overtures. When a male finds a virgin female they couple immediately without any visible preliminaries. I have seen males courting females persistently on many occasions, always without success.

Misha

All I get is a football game.

Misha

I'm no dipterist, but it looks like one of the Dolichopodidae. It could be Poecilobothrus nobilitatus. Have a look at some images on Google and see what you think.

Misha

Zonda, the Red Sword Grass is relatively common in the north and west, but rare in the south. Occasional records from the south coast may be migrants.
Denise, interesting that Painted Ladies have largely gone from Scilly as well as from Bournemouth. Strongly suggests to me mass emigration.

Misha

My usual walk along the Boscombe & Southbourne cliffs on Tuesday revealed that almost all the Painted Ladies had gone, only 5 being seen. Clouded Yellows were also in reduced numbers, but I might have seen more than 11 if the sun hadn't been weakened by high cloud . Many of my sightings were of ...

Could the argus be the Blue Argus? I'm afraid the Graylings can't be identified from photos. Where in Northern Greece were you?

Misha

I agree with Guy. There is another detail of the antennae, seldom mentioned in the literature. The Small Skipper antennae are slightly hooked at the tip: those of the Essex Skipper are not. These characters are very well shown in the enlarged illustrations of the antennae of both species in Thomas a...

Some sun in the afternoon yesterday. Still plenty of Red Admirals, Painted Ladies, Clouded Yellows, fewer whites, a male Common Blue and a few Speckled Woods on Bournemouth cliffs and nearby cliff-top habitats. That's a lovely Small Copper, Gary. Haven't seen one as fresh as that recently.

Misha

By the way, in its English colonies the larval foodplant was False Brome Brachypodium sylvaticum.

Misha

Gary and Pete. I agree. A worn slightly unusual male Gypsy. There's an image at http://de.academic.ru/dic.nst/dewiki/1415324 that comes close.
Edit. Oops this link doesn't work. I found it via Google images. Try http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymantria_dispar
Misha

Hi Paul. Nice moths. I can do the first five. 1. Coronet Craniophora ligustri . 2. Phaiogramma etruscaria . 3. Scarce Silver-lines Bena bicolorana . 4. Marbled Green Cryphia muralis . 5. Sussex Emerald Thalera fimbrialis . The sixth one has me stumped. At first I thought it looked like a relative of...

Gary, I can't see the victim well enough to hazard a guess.

Misha