Some from Switzerland

[LCPete]

Hi everyone I had a week in Switzerland (Valais) to see family
My dad took me up to Deborance and found lots of butterflies
some new to me

think this one is a common blue


Not sure what this one is


this must be a grizzled slightly different to ours




silver spotted skipper


bee from the garden

[Padfield]

Hi Pete,

The first two are Adonis blue and chalkhill blue.

It would be great to see an underside of the Pyrgus skipper before I stick my neck out on that one. If you don't have an underside shot, I'll stick it out anyway...

Guy

PS - did you see the lammergeiers? They breed at Derborence and range over the whole region. I saw one a few weeks ago cruising around near Solalex:

[LCPete]

Hi Guy thanks for the ID's
I was hoping the first one was an Adonis but was not sure as I have seen them in the UK but did not get any decent shots
Not seen a chalkhill blue at all we dont get them in North Wales I had to travel to Dorset for the Adonis
Unfortunately I did not get any underwing shots of the Pyrgus skipper but am convinced it's a Grizzled (malvae) but it has less white patterning than ours do in North Wales
I also saw quite a few Dark green fritillaries was amazed with what I saw considering it is quite late in the year . One day I will go in the spring I bet its fantastic
I did not know about the lammergeiers thats incredible that they breed at Derborence will definatley have to go back
I stayed with my dad who lives near Sion
Pete

[Padfield]

One thing you can be 100% sure of is that that is not malvae! Identifying Pyrgus from the upperside alone is often possible but there are several species you really need an underside of too. In my opinion this is most likely a very weakly marked large grizzled skipper, alveus. The only other serious contenders are carline skipper, carlinae, which usually has a much better defined 'c' on the forewings and olive skipper, serratulae, which is instantly identifiable from the underside but extremely variable on the upperside. A real outsider would be Warren's skipper, warrenensis, which flies in principle at high altitudes in that general region but is much more local and scarce than the other species I mentioned. I think it is over earlier too and only mention it for completeness. It looks like a very small, weakly marked alveus.

Here are some pictures of the species I mentioned:


(typical male alveus)


(typical male carlinae)


(weakly marked female serratulae)


(typical female warrenensis)

I go for alveus!

Guy

[traplican]

The "bee from garden" looks like the Carpenten Bee - but it flies on Spring.

[Paul Wetton]

Yes looks like Violet Carpenter Bee - Xylocopa violacea Apparently they fly in spring summer and into autumn.

Paul

[LCPete]

Thanks very much Guy for the ID I do agree it does look like alveus
I have not seen any continental butterflies before was quite exiting looking for new species
I dont think I got any underwing shots but will go through my shots again as I did take quite a few.
thanks for the ID on the bee traplican and Paul He was huge I have not seen a bee like it before
Pete

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Pete

These are gorgeous solitary bees and as you say they're pretty big.

I think a few were reported in the south of England this year.

Paul

[LCPete]

Hi Paul he was stunning I saw 2 visit for about 5 minutes
I have googled apparently they are quite common in central Europe
Pete