Another appeal for lesser purple emperor sites

[Steve Babbs]

Dear all

A couple of years ago I was appealing for lpe sites in the Loire. Unfortunately I only got very poor views. I'm still finalising my summer plans but another French trip is looking likely, in August. If it doesn't happen this year, it's likely to be the year after. In my last appeal a couple of people said the Dordogne was a good area. It's likely I will be going to the French Alps and then coming back via the Dordogne so any suggestions in either of these areas would be much appreciated, by PM if you think it's more appropriate.

Thanks in advance.

Steve

[Wurzel]

I was in the Dordogne this last August staying at a Canopy and Stars site (Terre et toi - Elvensong) and saw 2 Lesser Purple Emperor on site. If you google the place it'll give you the post code and the contact details for Sara the host/owner. They were very easy to find one was in the trees on the walk back with ice packs and the second was in the boat buzzing my daughters while they were learning to row
Hope this was a of some use.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Ilia is pretty scarce at altitude in the French Alps in my experience, Steve. I've only ever seen it at one site and even there it's unreliable.

[Steve Babbs]

Thanks for the replies. I should have added that any site near the French Alps that I could drive to for the day or visit on my way/way back would be of interest.

[Roger Gibbons]

Ilia is nearly always seen near water and, in fact, I don't think I've ever seen it far from water, either lakes or slow-running rivers.

One spot where I had seen it regularly in the Dordogne (or just on the border of Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne) is the Lac de l'Escourou near the town of Eymet. I haven't been there for about three years, but I don't think it has changed.

There is a road that goes across the lake at the north end and a small parking area on the east side which leads to a track going north. The parking area seems to be the main spot for ilia. I have also see dispar there in the past, and alcetas certainly used to fly there at the north end of the lake.

As David says, ilia is infrequently encountered in the French Alps and then only at lower altitudes of up to around 1100m.

Roger

[Matsukaze]

My (limited) experience is that you will stumble across them eventually, if you are near poplars and water at the right time of year (June/July and August/September?) This summer, we had one disport itself above the swimming pool in the garden of the house we were renting, in the area Roger mentions.

Alternatively, I've staked out likely-looking small clusters of poplars, with a handy gap in the canopy for viewing. The difficulty is in identification, as I keep passing over high-flying clytie as large fritillaries, until I get round to trying to identify them.

[Steve Babbs]

Thanks for the replies. I'll make sure I stay not far from Lac de l'Escourou. Any 'back-up' sites welcome.

steve

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Steve,
I've got 3 sites if ever you're in the Bouches du Rhone (Marseilles).
However, I can't guarantee photos.
Either they are high up in the trees or they come down and take salts by the waterside.
Chris

[Steve Babbs]

Many thanks Chris. I'll get in touch if I am planning to be in the area. The urge to complete the emperor set is getting very strong. I think the fact that you can't guarantee photographs is part of their appeal.

[petesmith]

Hi Steve,
Another Dordogne site that might be worth visiting is the Tourbieres de Vendoire. The area around the lakes close to the visitor centre was productive for ilia in mid-June 2017. We saw several in flight around the oaks, including three at a sap run.

We also had a couple flying around by our gite, not far from La Rochebeaurcourt. There is something special about floating on your back in a swimming pool watching ilia gliding around above you as he moves in and out of a large walnut tree!

Photographing them was another story...we were in the midst of a brutal heatwave, and we never had one down at ground level. The best I managed was a poor shot of the three sap-imbibers at Vendoire, full zoom and heavy crop.

It is a species that I need to see again!
Best of luck.
Pete

[Medard]

Not in the Dordogne but maybe you can visit on your return journey, regularly see them at Maillezais but timing as always is everything.
Copy the coordinates then past into Google earth search, hit go, the machine will do the rest.

Forêt de Lancosme 13-06-2017.
VENDOEUVRES 46°45'59.47"N 1°24'20.58"E

Sentier near Saint-Michel-en-Brenne two for the price of one. 13-06-2017
46°46'58.18"N 1° 9'8.00"E

Maillezais, Vendée, France 4-09-2016 and 4-09-2013
46°22'17.03"N 0°44'43.84"W

46°22'28.92"N 0°44'53.36"W

[Charles Nicol]

they do like ripe figs.... so if you find a fig tree near a tumbling brook you should see LPE

[kevling]

Steve,

A sizeable drive from the Alps, but I succeeded in finding LPE at Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon on the beach by the lake.
I had no trouble with photography as this obliging specimen confirms

Kind Regards
Kev Ling

[Medard]

Another site were I was fortunate to find a cooperative ilia, its just below the hilltop village of Rougon and the viewpoints over the Gorges du Verdon
A bonus, Rougon is a feeding station for Griffon vultures , an amazing site to see fifty plus of these magnificent birds circling overhead.

A video of ilia sucking on sap, see below, when a lizard creeps up and in a flash seizes
ilia, dont blink or you will miss it, my intervention gave ilia a reprieve and it soon returned to the sap for more.
Some butterflies do live dangerously.
Happy hunting.
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/p29 ... #h83483b82

43°47'41.07"N 6°26'12.62"E Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)

Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia) 27-07-2014

Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)
Seemingly none the worst for his/her experience.

Camping Municipal- Campsite
Carajuan
04120 Rougon
France

Camping Municipal

Camping Municipal

[Matsukaze]

It occurs on the Var side of the lake as well - here is one photographed on 21 June 2018. I have seen it at the same site in early/mid July, but do not know when the second brood flies. There aren't many poplars in the area, so I guess the butterfly occurs wherever there are small stands of the foodplant (in this case, 6-12 trees).

Jim - whereabouts is the vulture feeding station, and is it in operation all year?

[Medard]

Hello Matsukaze.

RE Jim - whereabouts is the vulture feeding station, and is it in operation all year?

The link below should help , Vultures have been successfully reintroduced at several sites around France,I believe the feeding station is within walking distance of the village but have not visited the site, its a wonderful experience to watch these enormous birds soaring, I am more familiar with the birds of ASTE-BEON, see below.

https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/p57 ... #hbed6d977 Video taken from the campsite below Rougon.

http://rapaces.lpo.fr/sites/default/fil ... n_2010.pdf

Also at ASTE-BEON.
La falaise aux vautours - Vallée d'Ossau Pyrénées



https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/p72 ... #h5dbd60d5

[Matsukaze]

Thanks Jim - I'll see if we can check it out one day.

Lesser PE from Dordogne at the end of June 2018:

[Steve Babbs]

Sorry life's been rather hectic recently. Many thanks for all the additional gen that has been added since I was last on.