The Hermit.

[roundwood123]

Another pic from Northern Spain, Is this a Hermit.

[Pete Eeles]

Looks like a Specked Wood to me. Here's a Hermit, taken in Greece earlier this year:

Cheers,

- Pete

[Dave McCormick]

Yeah, I'd second a speckled wood, look like it may be the subspecies aegeria, which is more orangy than ones you find here The subspecies aegeria is found in South West Europe.

[roundwood123]

Thanks Pete/Dave, I have had loads of Speckled Woods in Spain/Mallorca/Portugal but i did recognise this as one, oh well you live and learn.
Pic from Portugal.

[Roger Gibbons]

Aegeria is actually the nominate from - it is the subspecies tircis that we find in the UK. I still find it hard to get my head round the fact that the species we grew up with (and a Speckled Wood made a great impression on me when I was seven) is just a subspecies. Sounds almost as if it is classified as inferior!

Here is a photo I was fortunate to get earlier this year of the nominate form, so orange it almost looked like a different species:
http://www.butterfliesoffrance.com/html ... ne_12Apr09_

[Dave McCormick]

Aegeria is actually the nominate from - it is the subspecies tircis that we find in the UK. I still find it hard to get my head round the fact that the species we grew up with (and a Speckled Wood made a great impression on me when I was seven) is just a subspecies. Sounds almost as if it is classified as inferior!

You forgot oblita and insula too, depending on what part of the UK you come/came from, but oblita is quite nice too IMO and looks most like the aegeria. I have bred aegeria in past and they are quite nice looking. Think its the warmer climate tempretures that causes the more orange colour of the wings. Also, anyone seen the form of speckled wood found in Greece? It has bigger ocelli than most others I have came across (only seen it from photos in books)

Well, I wouldn't class any speckled wood as inferior, all nice in their own way. Wonder what someone would say to the supspecies of speckled wood in the UK, who as only evr seen the aegeria in Europe?

And great shot Rodger thats one speckled wood I want to see again.

[Padfield]

The tircis/aegeria line runs NW to SE, pretty much going through my house in Switzerland! So I don't think it's just a heat thing (it is very hot at valley level in Switzerland). Here, we get individuals that look mostly like tircis but often have orange spots (similar to the form intermedia, which I've seen in the Channel Islands).



Guy