I like this species because it lives only at high altitudes in the most inhospitable climates. A few years ago I arrived in the Queyras one sunny July afternoon but too late to see any butterflies. The next morning I woke up to snow-covered scenery and 3C temperature. I took a walk anyway and a few moments later a female cacaliae landed at my feet. It was greatly appreciated. The first photo is a male, the second a female, and the third is a male underside.
This is quite rare and localised in France, being principally an Iberian species. It is quite secretive, not venturing outside the little patches of its main hostplant Marrubium vulgare, so it probably remains undiscovered in many of its localities. It is characterized by the hindwing marginal wavy line, although this soon becomes obscured with ageing. The first photo is a male, the second a female, and the third is a male underside.
This is quite high up my list because it is relatively uncommon and flies only, as its name implies, at high altitudes, often in company with cacaliae. The underside is rather similar in markings to cacaliae, but the upperside is characterized by the three discal marks on the forewing, although sometimes the third of these marks is difficult to discern.
Top three to follow.
