French ID's Part 5

[Lee Hurrell]

Next batch....

I had noted this one as Weaver's but looking again, the uppseride arrows, lack of underside hind wing marginal pearls and brightness might suggest....Titania's?

I know this one is a long shot...

Asian Fritillary?

Erebia....? All 3 are the same individual.

Thanks in advance,

Lee

[Padfield]

Hi Lee,

The first fritillary is indeed tit frit, the next presumably Asian fritillary (I'm not sure I can say from the pictures it's not maturna, but distribution and habitat would be definitive there) and the Erebia is meolans (Piedmont) - a very popular species this year!

I reserve judgment on the Pyrgus!!!

(But I think it's malvae).

Guy

PS - Asian fritillary is quite scarce and local - you did well there!

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Guy.

The Asian Frit was at the same location as the Piedmont Ringlet - a track leading up a mountain side from a river valley. The track and slopes above it were covered in rock falls, scree and woodland. At around 1200m.

Also present were Wall, Northern Wall, QoS Frit, False Heath Frit, Black Veined Moth and Argent & Sable, if it helps?

I will see if I have any other shots of the underside when I get home.

Thanks,

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Guy,

The only other different view of the Asian or Scarce Frit I have is this poor one, not sure if it will help...

Thanks

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Guy,

Looking at the photos on yours and Matt's sites, I think Asian fits but some female Scarce are quiet close.

Also, do you get Scarce where you are? Tolman lists it from a couple of sites in central France but not the Alps if I remember correctly.

What do you think?

Thanks

Lee

[Padfield]

I think Asian too, which is really the mountain form of scarce frit! It's s great butterfly to see. The foodplant is blue honeysuckle, which you will usually find growing in the vicinity if you find the butterfly.

Guy

[Lee Hurrell]

I think Asian too, which is really the mountain form of scarce frit! It's s great butterfly to see. The foodplant is blue honeysuckle, which you will usually find growing in the vicinity if you find the butterfly. Guy

Thanks Guy - I didn't know that about the mountain form. They look very similar in the books, less so from pictures online though.

Lee

[Roger Gibbons]

I think you can be fairly certain that it is Asian (intermedia) and not Scarce (maturna), on the dual grounds of distribution (Scarce is limited to certain lowland sites in Eastern France, at least in France) while Asian is Alpine, and for much the same reason, on the grounds of altitude. I have seen Scarce but even the few females I have seen seemed to vary (the two on my maturna page were from the same site on the same day, yet look very different). Your hindwing lunules look larger and lighter than I would expect for Scarce.

The irony is that I suggested the location to Lee but my attempts to see intermedia have yet proved unsuccessful, not surprisingly as intermedia is quite rare and local in France. Needless, to say I will revisit this location next year. The reason I suggested this spot was mainly because I saw Purple Emperor on the ground there, plus interesting Alpine species such as Scarce Copper and Titania’s Fritillary. I also had a Poplar Admiral fly up from the river below, circle me a few times and whiz off. Must wear my shirts for longer…

I also met a Dutch butterfly photographer on my travels who mentioned that the Rochetaillée camp site was famed for the presence of Poplar Admirals. Must hang around the shower and toilet block more, Lee, your girlfriend would understand, I’m sure.

[Lee Hurrell]

I think you can be fairly certain that it is Asian (intermedia) and not Scarce (maturna), on the dual grounds of distribution (Scarce is limited to certain lowland sites in Eastern France, at least in France) while Asian is Alpine, and for much the same reason, on the grounds of altitude. I have seen Scarce but even the few females I have seen seemed to vary (the two on my maturna page were from the same site on the same day, yet look very different). Your hindwing lunules look larger and lighter than I would expect for Scarce.

Thanks for the confirmation, Roger and Guy.

The irony is that I suggested the location to Lee but my attempts to see intermedia have yet proved unsuccessful, not surprisingly as intermedia is quite rare and local in France. Needless, to say I will revisit this location next year. The reason I suggested this spot was mainly because I saw Purple Emperor on the ground there, plus interesting Alpine species such as Scarce Copper and Titania’s Fritillary. I also had a Poplar Admiral fly up from the river below, circle me a few times and whiz off. Must wear my shirts for longer…

I hope you're successful, Roger. It was a lovely site, I have to say. I think probably the most remote Alpine location I went to. Certainly saw Titania's but I was perhaps a little early for iris.

I also met a Dutch butterfly photographer on my travels who mentioned that the Rochetaillée camp site was famed for the presence of Poplar Admirals. Must hang around the shower and toilet block more, Lee, your girlfriend would understand, I’m sure.

Crikey Well, I didn't see one and I did a lot of exploring locally. However, as I have mentioned, I will certainly be going back one day Yes...I may have some explaining to do next time

Thanks again, Roger. The story from Asain Fritillary site is next to post.

Cheers

Lee