Holiday to Germany part 4b

[Philzoid]

The next butterfly to catch my attention required a break-out from “my patch” or a break-in via the dreaded Barbed-wire fence . The butterfly looked like a Wall Brown patrolling an area of rocks on a steep slope and I just had to get nearer. The barbed wire fence was negotiated, I crept as close as I could and loosing off a few shots.

The butterfly was indeed a Wall or more accurately a Large Wall . I was in my element, fully absorbed in my quest to see and photograph butterflies when I was awoken by the sound of loud tapping then the opening of a window on the nearby farmhouse. The occupant said something which I presumed to be the German equivalent of “Oi get orf moi laaand” I gestured apologetically and moved off . Captain Haddock not welcome ….. but no harm done ... no shotguns or German Shepard's and an underside Lasiommata maera for my collection .

Back in “my patch” which was a hive of activity with butterflies; bees and hoverflies, I got another underside …… and another Yellow-spotted Ringlet

Then yet another species, and possibly the tattiest Painted Lady you’ll ever see.

Lots of Small Tortoiseshell up Hochgrat but not seen at lower levels

It wasn’t just Butterflies that caught my attention. This gaudy but attractive moth is Hypercallia citrinalis . It has not been seen in the UK since 1975 in Kent (presumed extinct) but can be found in Burren area of County Clare in Ireland.

The next butterfly was a Pyrgus Skipper. The photograph quality is disappointing (as with many of my pictures) but after reading up I think this one may be Pyrgus cacaliae, Dusky Grizzled Skipper. Perhaps Guy or anyone else can help with this one?

Couldn't get an underside shot on this one unfortunately.

Mindful that I’d been gone for some time I decided it was time to make my way back to the others and passed a small group of “Braunvieh” Alpine brown cattle who were not bothered by the tourists or the flies it seems .

Brown cattle of Alpine regions.

As I approached the cable-car station and café I took-in another Yellow-spotted Ringlet. Meanwhile, my eldest at the café took-in a shot of me butterflying (bottom left) which captures the scene perfectly

Roof belongs to that occupied farmhouse

Also seen on the approach were flocks of black Alpine Choughs wheeling around on the mountain up-draughts, their calls rather like that of song-birds rather than crows . They congregated and huddled up on the café roof looming over the café goers like Hitchcock’s “The Birds” or the evil crows in Noggin the Nog: the Postgate & Firmin kids classic which some of the older readers like me may remember . Like Pigeons and Gulls these birds have learned the ‘easy option’ of scrounging table scraps … but you won’t find them at lower levels.

After some liquid refreshment and with normal order resumed at cards (me losing) I was ready for some more exploring. No-one else wanted to move so I was off on my own again, this time exploring the back of the Bergstation Hochgratbahn. In another grassy area were some more butterflies; a Chimney Sweeper moth and some Alpine Choughs probing in the ground in a more natural setting. Amongst the butterflies was a Peacock, yet another species first time seen on this trip.

....and another Mountain Clouded Yellow

The others were getting bored so it was time to go . Back at the car-park which sits adjacent to the WeiBach river, I insisted that I do just a teensy weensy bit more exploring . A footbridge crossed the river and on the other side was a track which ran into woodland. At the margins of the woodland were some large thistle-like flowers and these were attracting Brimstone

this picture of a Brimstone is one of my favourites

Then, in a clump of trees about 15ft away another butterfly caught my eye …. White Admiral ? No a roosting Purple Emperor ! Unfortunately, due to the distance I had to use the Panasonic zoom to get this record shot. Like my Apatura ilia in France this was an unexpected sighting. Both species were in very similar habitat, shrubby wood margins by a river. The ilia had been more accommodating though .

The Emperor wasn’t the end of it though. Yet another species put in an appearance: a Wood White .

And finally, a Sooty Copper to finish (taken in Steibis on the way back to our apartment).

My species count had now been ramped up to the following:-
Meadow Brown; Small Heath; Gatekeeper; Common Blue; Small White; Mazarine Blue (L); Green-veined White; Swallowtail; Silver-washed Fritillary; Marbled White; Small Skipper; Sooty Copper; Silver-spotted Skipper; Essex Skipper; Map; Ringlet; Comma; Niobe fritillary (L); High Brown Fritillary (L); Holly Blue; Mountain Clouded Yellow (L); Small tortoiseshell; Red Admiral; Large Wall Brown (L); Yellow-spotted Ringlet (L); Dusky Grizzled Skipper (L); Painted Lady; Peacock; Brimstone; Purple Emperor and Wood White .
= 31 species of which 7 are lifers. (Dusky Skipper subject to review)

Though there is more holiday to come this represents the peak of my holiday’s butterflying unfortunately .

[Wurzel]

"Oi geh von meinem Land!"

It was still worth the aggro though great under wing shots
Love the Yellow-spotted Ringlet
Even though this represents the peak still looking forward to the next installment

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Charles Nicol]

For you the Schmetterlingsjagd is over Tommy

[Wurzel]

Should have used a motorbike -that can get through barbed wire...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Philzoid]

Oi geh von meinem Land

Sadly we're on our way to doing It so to speak ... though that is not the general German sentiment

It was still worth the aggro though great under wing shots

Definitely Butterflies go where they want and we have to do so ... sometimes

Love the Yellow-spotted Ringlet

Indeed they are lovely and variable too as Guy alluded to http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Erebia_Manto

Even though this represents the peak still looking forward to the next installment

Coming up very soon

For you the Schmetterlingsjagd is over Tommy

Should have used a motorbike -that can get through barbed wire...

Steve McQueen was trying to get on the other side where the butterflies were

[David M]

That pyrgus is certainly unusual, Phil. According to the guides, Dusky Grizzled Skipper only flies in the very southern extremity of Germany in the mountains. Hard to see what else it could be unless it's an aberrant of another species. Warren's Skipper, according to Tolman & Lewington, is NOT present in Germany, and would be the other in this genus to show such tiny forewing spots.

[Philzoid]

That pyrgus is certainly unusual, Phil. According to the guides, Dusky Grizzled Skipper only flies in the very southern extremity of Germany in the mountains. Hard to see what else it could be unless it's an aberrant of another species. Warren's Skipper, according to Tolman & Lewington, is NOT present in Germany, and would be the other in this genus to show such tiny forewing spots.

Thanks very much for that David . Your reasons given are what I concluded too (though my Tolman and Lewington is probably an old edition). At the time the tiny forewing spots made me think “I’ll get this one” despite not getting an underside (always helps with this difficult genus) and now with your endorsement too I think we’ve narrowed it down to 90% certain Pyrgus cacaliae.

Phil

[Roger Gibbons]

The white marks don't look quite right for cacaliae in my view. It is rather worn (as indicated by the very frayed fringes), so ID is a little more tricky, but my guess would be female serratulae which is often very weakly marked (one on my serratulae page: http://www.butterfliesoffrance.com/html ... ce_14Aug06). The markings of serratulae are quite variable and often much stronger (especially in the male) than illustrations in the books which generally only show a "typical" specimen.

The books rarely show that the markings of the females of Pyrgus species are often much weaker.

Second choice carlinae, where the females can also be weakly marked.

If Guy picks up this thread, it will be interesting to see if he concurs.

Roger

[Philzoid]

Hi Roger. I suspected the lack of an underside would lead to difficulty in identification. I made my judgement purely on the illustration and text in my Tolman - Lewington guide but I do agree on that basis alone the serratulae female is a good match.
I haven't seen any of the three species mentioned so at least its something new. The butterfly was circa at 1800m. I've attached another picture if that's of any help. Perhaps the plants it is on may hold a clue?