Holiday to France (and Andorra) Part 6

[Philzoid]

Rejuvenated by my days' butterflying I was back on track to carrying out my plan to visit Andorra and although Sharon was in two minds about it, my eldest daughter's enthusiasm for going ensured I got my way. This was to be our last full day before returning to England and more than anything I was determined to ramp up my list with a few more species. Secretly I was hoping for Apollo as a friend had told me he'd seen "big white butterflies" there whilst out walking in the hills some years back.

The drive to was not as far as Perpignan but still some distance nevertheless, with most of it climbing. The final stage when we reached Andorra was the most amazing as we avoided going through the tunnel and instead drove into El Pas de la Casa. The sharp contrast of this Andorran town to those in France was immediately apparent . To be honest I preferred the slightly dilapidated look and Rustic rural charm of France to the more modern clean-cut feel of Andorra. Unlike France though (and increasingly in England) there was no problem finding a petrol station .

For those leaving Andorra, El Pas de la Casa provided a stop-off to stock-up on duty free (cheaper booze, cigs and other stuff). We continued without stopping and zig-zagged our way up the mountain pass on excellently surfaced roads, to eventually get over the summit at Port d'Envalira (nearly 8000ft) snake downwards and then be greeted by a stunning views of the mountains and valleys beyond.

View of Grau Roig, Andorra

Crag Martins

Our stopping point was approximately at 2000+ m. Over the edge on a scree slope I spotted an Erebia Ringlet. I'm not sure which species it was (a very difficult group) but my initial assessment is Gavarnie Ringlet (Erebia gorgone) . Whatever it turns out to be it will be a lifer as I've not seen any of the UK's erebias. The picture is not very good but some of the ones I took later (at the end of this series(in Part 7)) may be more useful . In addition to the Erebia ringlet I spotted a white which I hoped would be Peak White (P. calladice) but it turned out to be a female Bath White Pontia daplidice, a species I've seen and photographed a lot of in Tenerife.

Erebia sp .... more (hopefully conclusive) pics in Part 7

Bath White

Moving further along on the CG-2 we came into the conurbation of Soldeu a place which seemed to comprise solely of ski hotels. At this point I fancied a sit down and a drink. There were no small bars so we went into the Sport Hotel and the facilities; efficiency of service and prices were top notch . Relaxing and soaking up the views in this alpine resort a sobering thought was seeing numerous cranes on the hillsides indicating the possibility of future overdevelopment .
As we continued along the 'main road' encountering more an more urbanisation I was aware that we'd soon be driving out of the "other end", and into Spain. Is this what I came to Andorra for .. No!! . So, in Andorra la Vella, while Sharon and the girls went off to do a bit of shopping I studied the map for my next port of call. The ladies came back happy having found some bags they'd wanted, and I set off heading north for Ordino. In Ordino we had lunch and then I continued on my quest continuing in a northerly direction on the CG-3 all the time dropping comments like "we might as well go this way unless you have other ideas"? The climb was gentle and the area became less built up, with the chalets/hotels becoming noticeably smaller. At a place called La Cortinada (1400m) I spotted a promising looking meadow to check over . "Be 5 minutes" I told the others, grabbing my camera + long lens and almost immediately on stepping onto the meadow I spotted a pale Blue-grey butterfly. I ran off two shots then the shutter stopped clicking . Glancing at the screen indicated "card full" and glancing back at the butterfly revealed it had gone . Heading back to the car for my other camera I started deleting some of the older stuff and checked over the pictures I'd managed to get. It was only then that I identified my find as either a male Chalk-hill Blue Lysandra coridon or a Province Chalk-hill Blue Lysandra hispana.

well-marked hindwing lunules ... could it be hispana?

After returning with the same camera and free card space, I couldn't find the Blue again . My only lepidopteran was this Humming-bird Hawk-moth

Mindful of the time I hurried back and we continued on the CG-3 road heading north. Soon we came into a small village Llorts where I spotted what appeared to be a tourist knack-knacks shop . Persuading the ladies they might like to do some (one shop) shopping, I made my way over to a promising looking meadow albeit on a steep embankment. It didn't take long before I got my first butterfly and my second Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus) of the holiday. Soon after I was homing in on a brightly coloured blue and this was the familiar Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus frequently seen on chalklands of South England. 'Chalk-hill Blue'; Adonis Blue Home from home in Andorra .

Sooty Copper

Adonis Blue

This home from home theme was about to continue when I spotted a large looking 'Marbled White' ... or was it Whatever it was it was very alert and all I caught was this blurred image of a part of the hindwing and it made off .

Melanargia sp.

I would like to believe it was/is a (female) Iberian Marbled White Melanargia lachesis rather than galathea so that I can add it to my lifer list. Again (like the 'Chalk-hill') it seemed different (size bigger and stronger flight) but the picture doesn't reveal much.

The next butterfly to appear kept the home from home theme going, another Common Blue. On this holiday this butterfly definitely lived up to it's name "common".

Common Blue

In between the Marbled White and Common Blue was another 'Beast of Durlston' a Great Green Bush-cricket, an impressive looking insect that I'd seen for the first time only a couple of weeks earlier in Durlston nr. Swanage when looking for Lulworth Skipper.

After checking that the others were not making their way back to the car I dashed back over to the embankment to have a final fling at getting something that wouldn't be found in the UK. This turned out to be a good move as the next butterfly was indeed something I'd never seen before. A female copper with the underside giving it away as a Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae) What a little beauty .

Female Scarce Copper

The half open wing shots were tantalising but when she opened them up fully to the sun she revealed a myriad of sumptuous iridescences . A truly stunning little insect that my camera work didn't do justice to.

Feeling totally chuffed I met up with Sharon and the girls (un-impressed by their (non) shopping trip) and I continued heading north, they being mere extras in my exploratory plans . At El Serrat we stopped off at another swish Hotel for some liquid refreshment and a call of nature. From talking to the hotel receptionist I was able to glean that there we a nature reserve only 2Km further on. It was nearly 5:00p.m. Time to get my skates on .. "drink up"

The road leading to the reserve Parc Natural de la vall de Sorteny, narrowed and climbed more steeply. However it wasn't long before we came to a car-park at the end of the road. The others weren't up for a (strenuous) walk and preferred to remain around the picnic area near the car park. I told them I'd be back in half an hour and made off as fast as I could walk to try and see as much as I could within the time available. This time constraint was of my own making as it would be a long journey back to the L'Arize campsite, and I didn't want to have to drive too much of the way at night.

The rocky path followed a small stream, the Riu de Rialb. I hadn't gone far in when I spotted a medium sized fritillary. Although it landed I couldn't get close enough for an identification so it became just another one of those "the one that got away" moments, all part and parcel of the butterflying experience .
The disappointment didn't last long because soon afterwards I was onto another copper, this time a male Scarce Copper . The male has fiery red-orange iridescent wings without the upperside spotting of the female. Unlike the female this one was more active and was trickier to get a reasonable shot.

Continuing onwards and upwards I found the path littered with fungi heads, presumably picked and discarded because they were not edible or the right type. Further on I was aware of someone climbing amongst the undergrowth and although I couldn't see the person he/she might've been the one picking the fungi. Wild fungi foraging for commercial gain is becoming a big problem in the UK and probably elsewhere too. It certainly shouldn't be happening on a nature reserve .

Boletus sp. found discarded on the rocky path

As I got further up the woods on both sides of the path thinned and eventually it opened up into Vall de Rialb a valley of rocks and rockfalls with a grassy floor. Just before that I encountered another male Scarce Copper .

Male Scarce Copper

Moving onto the scenic valley plain surrounded by high mountains at around 2000m I was expecting to see a lot of mountain ringlet butterflies but it was a huge disappointment . There were hundreds of grasshoppers in the grass but that was it. No Erebia's no Apollo or Clouded Apollo .... zilch . Then I spotted two small brown birds which I initially thought might Alpine Accentors ..... but all they were only Dunnocks ... the 'British' theme continues .

So with no butterflies in the Sorteny valley it was time to head back. On the way I was able to snap a Small White but no more butterflies showed up. When I got back I found my daughters cooling their feet in the stream. They excitedly told me their huge ants encounter and also a fritillary butterfly (probably the one I didn't get to I.D.)

Species count now standing at 37 (inc the unidentified Melanargia and Erebia).

[Padfield]

Hi Phil. Your Erebia looks like a female rondoui to me.

In the Val d'Aran, where I frequently go, lachesis doesn't fly. I don't know specifically for Andorra, and as I'm in a train at the moment I can't check the detailed maps, but I would expect yours to be galathea.

Guy

[Philzoid]

That was quick Guy . The Spanish Brassy ringlet was one I didn't consider too seriously (don't know why now that I've looked back again in my Collins Tolman guide after your ID). In my final Part 7 I have considered 2 more species on top of Gavarnie and as it's already written out I'll post as is.

The galathea/lachesis ranges overlap with galathea at it's most south-westerly part of its range on mainland Europe and lachesis on its most north-easterly part . Both are univoltine with galathea quoted by the guide as: "Generally June/July, exceptionally late May/early September" Lachesis:- early June/early August. Pic taken in late August suggests galathea but I'm not entirely convinced.

Any views on the coridon/hispana conundrum Hope you're on a fast train

Thanks

Phil

[Wurzel]

More fantastic stuff Philzoid In terms of lifers you must be surpassing my 13 easily by now surely? And if not you've certainly got some of the more interesting ones compared to my haul

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Roger Gibbons]

A very quick look:

Rondoui is actually Pyrenees Brassy Ringlet in the revised taxonomy.

I’m inclined to go for galathea on what we can see. It looks white enough to suggest male and the markings don’t seem to accord with what I would expect for lachesis. http://www.butterfliesoffrance.com/html ... chesis.htm

The blue is coridon I think.

The white isn’t ergane, but could be mannii.

Roger

[Mikhail]

Two marbled whites occur in Andorra - lachesis and russiae. See: http://www.iea.ad/cartografia-de-papall ... -d-andorra Scroll down for list of species, and click on right hand name for map.

M.
It seems the link doesn't work.

[Padfield]

I can't get that link to work either. I'm surprised if galathea doesn't fly there too, as it is certainly within range. I've found lachesis just south of the Pyrenees and just to the north too, in south-eastern France, but at altitude in the Pyrenees themselves (the Val d'Aran and neighbouring mountains) every one I've checked has been galathea. The latest Kudrna atlas puts all three species (lachesis, galathea and russiae) in Andorra.

I'm looking forward to more Erebia shots in part 7, Phil! I'm afraid I can't see gorgone (Gavarnie ringlet) in this shot but the species does fly in the same places as rondoui so there's a good chance. My own shots of gorgone are here: http://www.guypadfield.com/gavarnieringlet.html. It's a very distinctive butterfly, the male for its striking upperside and the female for the white-veined underside.

Guy

[Mikhail]

Guy
Val d'Aran is on north slope of Pyrenees, Andorra on south slope. galathea comes south of the watershed where the passes are not too high, e.g. eastern Cantabrian mts (Reinosa area) and western Pyrenees. In the central Pyrenees and the higher parts of the eastern Pyr. it's galathea to the north and lachesis to the south. Further east lachesis enters France, as you well know.

M.

[Philzoid]

More fantastic stuff Philzoid In terms of lifers you must be surpassing my 13 easily by now surely? And if not you've certainly got some of the more interesting ones compared to my haul

Your lifer haul is certainly more than mine Wurzel . I've 10 definites and 2 possibles. All things considered I'm pleased with what I've got and I reckon you're fairly happy with yours too. If it were possible though, I dare say we could end up doing a couple of swaps .

I’m inclined to go for galathea on what we can see. It looks white enough to suggest male and the markings don’t seem to accord with what I would expect for lachesis. http://www.butterfliesoffrance.com/html ... chesis.htm

The blue is coridon I think.

The white isn’t ergane, but could be mannii.

Roger

Fair enough Roger. The Melanargia in flight looked somewhat different and it took ages to land. Despite nectaring I barely got near it before putting it up and after that it decided to move on out.
I thought the same about the blue too (different). I don't suppose these other two pictures are of much use, the melanargia is overblown and totally at the wrong angle and the Lysandra out of focus .

I knew the white wasn't ergane and in fact I'm pretty sure it's rapae. I think I may have a mannii from post 2. Although I'm probably scraping the barrel now, I intend to put up a Melitaea identity parade with some out of focus whites and Pyronia sp. (you have been warned )

Two marbled whites occur in Andorra - lachesis and russiae. See: http://www.iea.ad/cartografia-de-papall ... -d-andorra Scroll down for list of species, and click on right hand name for map.

M.
It seems the link doesn't work.

Interestingly this link to Wikipedia shows only Lachesis in Andorra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_L ... of_Andorra#

I'm surprised if galathea doesn't fly there too, as it is certainly within range. I've found lachesis just south of the Pyrenees and just to the north too, in south-eastern France, but at altitude in the Pyrenees themselves (the Val d'Aran and neighbouring mountains) every one I've checked has been galathea. The latest Kudrna atlas puts all three species (lachesis, galathea and russiae) in Andorra.

My Collins Tolman guide book has basic map diagrams showing the three species overlapping in this region (and maybe occitancia too). The book also states that galathea / lachesis "intermediate forms, believed to be hybrids are frequent in areas of contact"

I'm looking forward to more Erebia shots in part 7, Phil! I'm afraid I can't see gorgone (Gavarnie ringlet) in this shot but the species does fly in the same places as rondoui so there's a good chance. My own shots of gorgone are here: http://www.guypadfield.com/gavarnieringlet.html. It's a very distinctive butterfly, the male for its striking upperside and the female for the white-veined underside.

Thanks Guy I've had a look at your Gavarnie Ringlet images and I think I'll have to go with your suggestion of Pyrenees Brassy ringlet. My other pictures to come show butterflies with two different undersides, one (very) dark barely patterned and the other much lighter. I think it's male and female respectively of the same species but we shall see . A partial upperside shot appears to show some feint green scaling on the forewing (indicating brassy?). I was aware that the underside venation of female gorgone was white(r) and I think one of my pics shows this ... but there-again it may just be just a combination of the vein relief and the angle of the light . If only I could've had more time with them .

Val d'Aran is on north slope of Pyrenees, Andorra on south slope. galathea comes south of the watershed where the passes are not too high, e.g. eastern Cantabrian mts (Reinosa area) and western Pyrenees. In the central Pyrenees and the higher parts of the eastern Pyr. it's galathea to the north and lachesis to the south. Further east lachesis enters France, as you well know.

As I understand it the suggestion is that galathea got into Spain via the low lying areas at the western end of the Pyrenees then has/is spread/spreading eastwards on the south side. Lachesis spreads up from central Spain North and eastwards on the South side of Pyrenees ( ) The debate is whether galathea has spread sufficiently east enough to get into Andorra.
My butterfly photo was taken on the South side of the Pyrenees in the northern part of Andorra on essentially south facing slopes ... but I doubt if this helps .
For me it will have to be another one that got away, but thanks very much for all your help Guy, Roger & Mikhail . Very educational .

Phil