French Pyrgus ID Help Needed

[Catteraxe]

All the images below were taken in the French Alps (Parc du Mercantour and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) between 1000m and 2500m over the course of last week. Assistance with IDs would be gratefully received.

Pyrgus 1

Pyrgus 2

Pyrgus 3

Pyrgus 4

Pyrgus 5

Pyrgus 6

And finally an Erebia

Thanks,

Kevin.

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Kevin
Photo #3 may be genus Spialia
Chris

[Catteraxe]

Thanks Chris. Having done some more research I think 2 and 5 may be Safflower, but I'm far from sure.

Kevin.

[Roger Gibbons]

#1 and perhaps #2 look like armoricanus (maybe also #4), hard to tell with that degree of wear (hard enough when they're fresh), but if you told me they were taken at altitude then armoricanus becomes rather unlikely.

#3 is sertorius as Chris says.

#5 is carthami as you say.

#6 is andromedae, you may be pleased to know.

Roger

[Catteraxe]

Many thanks, Roger. I'll check back through my images to try and establish altitude for 1, 2 and 4. The Alpine Grizzled is a great find as we didn't think we'd seen any at all. Any idea for the Erebia?

Thanks again.

Kevin.

[David M]

The last pyrgus looks nailed on andromedae to me. Where did you see this?

Not absolutely sure about the erebia, but surely Large Ringlet is a possibility?

[Catteraxe]

The Alpine Grizzled was taken on July 6th (Col de la Cayolle). I think we went straight to the Col so that's where it would have been taken.

Kevin.

[Padfield]

Agreed for all the Pyrgus/Spialia. As David says, the Erebia looks like euryale (male). The hint of a white tooth is the give-away.

Guy

[David M]

The Alpine Grizzled was taken on July 6th (Col de la Cayolle). I think we went straight to the Col so that's where it would have been taken.

Excellent, Kevin. I'll add it in for that day. Like you say, it wasn't officially recorded in Week 1 (although I saw one during my recce period) but I'm pleased to say at least 3 were seen in Week 2. I'll be working through all my pyrgus and there may well be a couple for ID on here too!