CFB

[Chris Jackson]

That valezina is great, Colin. Marbled Skippers are lacking this year in the Bouches du Rhone.
Chris

[CFB]

June 17 2015:
A lovely Painted Lady. I hope the ones due to arrive in the UK are also in good condition.

June 18 2015:
Green-veined White. Second brood?

Silver-washed Fritillary,

and f. valesina.

The number of Cleopatras at the moment is incredible. Here's a backlit Cleopatra.

And I couldn't resist posting this.

My first Twin-spot Fritillary #57 of the year.

In the garden and around the geraniums I saw my first Geranium Bronze #58 of the year, but no photo.

June 19 2015:
A Marbled Fritillary.

A Painted Lady.

--
Colin

[CFB]

June 20 2015:

Cleopatras are still around in great quantities, as are the Hairstreaks (Blue-spot, Ilex and False Ilex).
Also many Silver-washed Fritillaries, including these two females.

I saw a couple of Weaver's Fritillaries.

June 21 2015:

There was a Scarce Swallowtail enjoying the Scabious.

I managed to liberate a False Ilex Hairstreak held by a green spider.

--
Colin

[Chris Jackson]

Good rescue job, Colin.
What is your general 'grayling' situation ?
Chris

[CFB]

What is your general 'grayling' situation ?

Chris,
I don't see regular Graylings, they tend to be at higher altitudes.
I saw Great Banded Graylings at the beginning of the month, and expect to see Woodland Graylings from late July on.
I saw one False Grayling in 2012!!!
And that's it.


In the area around the Vallon des Dones this morning I saw many Cleopatras, male and female. This male is lacking a large chunk of a wing.

Also many Satyrium hairstreaks, these two being False Ilex Hairstreaks.

I saw two or three Clouded Yellow males

and a few Pearly Heaths.

Also some Berger's Clouded Yellows, one Southern White Admiral, a few Wood Whites, many Silver-washed, Heath and Spotted Fritillaries, one Knapweed Fritillary, and many Marbled Whites.
--
Colin

[David M]

Things look to be hotting up for you, Colin.

Your damaged Cleopatra is unusual. This species as well as Brimstone and Orange Tip rarely seem to lose wing parts in the same way as Satyrids, Swallowtails and Hairstreaks.

[CFB]

Things look to be hotting up for you, Colin.

Hello David,

From the weather point of view, it certainly is .

I still see great quantities of Hairstreaks, Silver-washed Fritillaries, Spotted Fritillaries and Cleopatras. Yesterday I saw, amongst other things, four or five Painted Ladies and a couple of Southern White Admirals. Last Wednesday I saw a very helpful Scarce Swallowtail

and a few Wood Whites.

--
Colin

[CFB]

It's starting to get too hot for me, and perhaps also for the butterflies. And they are threatening us with temperatures around 40 degrees for the middle of the week .

However this didn't stop me from seeing this morning my first Large Skipper #59 of the year. (Surely I can't be wrong about this one .)

There was also a gorgeous Great Banded Grayling, most impressive in flight. What a pity they close their wings and go lurking in the undergrowth when not flying.

There were a few Clouded Yellows.

Also seen were Cleopatras, Satyrium Hairstreaks, Marbled Whites, Silver-washed Fritillaries, a couple of Painted Ladies, Wall Browns and Wood Whites.

And from yesterday, a Southern White Admiral.

--
Colin

[trevor]

HI Colin,
Many thank for your continued posting of ( to us stuck over here ) images of the exotica on your doorstep.
That Southern White Admiral, in particular, is absolutely beautiful. That Scarce Swallowtail looks positively
tropical.

Keep up the good work,
TREVOR.

[CFB]

Thanks, Trevor. I shall try to continue to post such images .
--
All the best,
Colin

[CFB]

This morning I went to the Vallon des Dones hoping to see Black-veined Whites or Marsh Fritillaries, but without success . But I did see my first Dingy Skipper #60 of the year.

It is rather dingy compared to this one seen last year which is, in my opinion, not at all dingy.

Once again I saw a Southern White Admiral,

and a Scarce Swallowtail (specially for Trevor ).

There were dozens of Blue-spot and False Ilex Hairstreaks, lots of Cleopatras and Marbled Whites and several Silver-washed and Spotted Fritillaries.
--
Colin

[CFB]

First of all, from July 3, a female Meadow Brown

and a Common Blue,

and from July 5, a Scarce Swallowtail.

It is still very hot here, but I went out this morning to where the trees give a reasonable amount of shade.

There were hardly any Hairstreaks, whereas a few days ago they were everywhere. The most numerous species was Marbled White, including this f. leucomelas.

Also there were many Wall Browns.

There were also several Large Skippers,

Common Blues, Berger's Clouded Yellows and Cleopatras, and two Southern White Admirals.
--
Colin

[CFB]

Yesterday near the Pont des Dones:
Many Marbled Whites,

a few Large Skippers,

several Berger's Clouded Yellows including this dead specimen apparently in the grips of a spider ,

and several Cleopatras.

Today in the Parc de la Brague:
My first Southern Small Whites #61 of the year,

a couple of Brimstones,

two Scarce Swallowtails, one Swallowtail and one or two Southern White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillaries.

Today, dead in our bedroom , my first Lang's Short-tailed Blue #62 of the year,

some Cleopatras, Wall Browns and Meadow Browns.
--
Colin

[Chris Jackson]

That Marbled White f. leucomelas is on my wish list, Colin. I've never seen one over my way. If I remember rightly, you saw many last year.
However, Lang's Short-tail Blues can be common all year round over here !!
Keep up the good work.
Cheers, Chris

[CFB]

Chris,

Last year a saw a few f. leucomelas. In previous years I hadn't seen any, perhaps because I didn't know that they existed, so I didn't look for any .

Concerning Lang's Short-tail Blues, here I see them mostly in October, November and December, though I do see a small number in other months. There appearance seems to coincide with the flowering of Rosemary.

Cheers,
Colin

[CFB]

There seem to be a new crop of Adonis Blues in the Parc de la Brague. Here's a female,

and here's a male, both with lovely wide fringes.

And a new crop of Glanville Fritillaries. These two were together. I'm a bit worried about the first one, as I've not seen such a variation of colour before.

There are still Common Blues flying. This one is a male.

Also seen were a few Green-veined Whites,

one Silver-washed Fritillary, a f. valesina,

Marbled Whites, a Southern White Admiral, Southern Small White and Large Skippers.
--
Colin

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Colin,
I love that female Adonis Blue and the Glanville Fritillary.
In Marseilles, I don't think we have a late (or continued) brood of Glanvilles.
Cheers, Chris

[CFB]

This morning I went to Terme Blanc where the are no trees to give some shade to escape from the heat , but as this is an isolated hill, there was a slight breeze to cool things down a bit .

I had expected to see some Southern Gatekeepers, but only saw one, my first of the year #63, but no photo.

But I did see two Two-tailed Pashas, one which was very battered and faded,

and the other which was in impeccable condition.

I suppose that the first one is a late first brood individual, and the second an early second brood individual .

Apart from that I only saw a Swallowtail.
--
Colin.

[CFB]

I see that my last contribution to my diary was on July 17, this being due mainly to the very high temperatures in my area, which affected me, and probably also the local butterflies. However I did manage to take some photos.

A few Red-underwing Skippers.

Many Scarce Swallowtails

including one or two which regularly appeared while I was watering the garden.

Several Holly Blues

on and around the one and only Purple Loosestrife plant, in the bed of a dried-up stream, as were several Lang's Short-tailed Blues (no photos) and several Green-veined Whites.

Several Large Skippers,

and, today, my first Silver-spotted Skippers #64 of the year.

--
Colin

[CFB]

There seemed to be many more butterflies flying this morning than in previous days even though it is still hot.

There were lots of Spotted Fritillaries, including this mating couple. The individual at the bottom (the male?) was in fact actively moving its legs, as if it had had enough .

There were also many Heath Fritillaries, this one sharing its Scabious (Cephalaria leucantha?) with two guests.

I only saw a few Common Blues, and was lucky to get this photo.

As yesterday, there were some Silver-spotted Skippers.

Also quite also a lot of Meadow Browns, this male having apparently lost its ocelli .

Also seen: Wall Browns, Berger's Clouded Yellows, one male Cleopatra and Red-underwing Skippers.
--
Colin