French ID's Part 9

[Lee Hurrell]

Last batch!

Some skippers to start.

Marbled Skipper?

Red Underwing Skipper?

Large Grizzled Skipper?

Lulworth Skipper? (hope so!)

Some Blues...

Osiris Blue...? This one was larger than a typical minimus.

Small Blue, I think?

Green Underside Blue?

I think a plejebus sp - but which one? It was much larger than any Silver Studded Blue I've seen!

This one was in the same location although taken 15 minutes later and could of course be the same individual.

While this one was a different location and looks more like Silver Studded Blue?

I know these once again may prove impossible, but these are 2 different Wood White individuals and they do look a little different to each other?

And finally the mellicta....

I hope I have learnt a bit over the previous posts and would be comfortable to suggest these 2 are Meadow Fritillary?

Individual 1

Individual 1

Individual 2

These I would all say are Heath Fritillary.

Individual 2

Individual 2

This last one had me confused. From the upperside I would have said Knapweed but the underside rules that out. Is it a strangely marked female Heath Fritillary?

Many thanks,

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

Green Underside Blue?

IMG_2983.jpg

IMG_3000.jpg

After reading Reverdin's post showing Green Underside Blue and Black Eyed Blue side by side, I think these may be Black Eyed now?

Thanks

Lee

[Padfield]

Hi Lee,

I think your first skipper is most likely tufted marbled skipper, flocciferus. If you were in range for this species (I can't remember where you were), let me know and I'll tell you why I think this.

The red-underwings are right and the large grizzled skipper looks good for that species too. Lulworth yes.

The Cupido looks more like little blue to me. I would suggest male little blue (if you have any photos that reveal the sex it would be useful). Obviously, if it were osiris it would be a female, and while I can't rule this out the jizz does seem wrong. Female osiris is also a very rare visitor at minerals (I've seen thousands of Osiris blues and never seen a female at minerals - I always find them in the meadows, nectaring or ovipositing). The male little blue is the bigger sex and in moutain regions there are locally some populations of very big individuals. BUT osiris is possible.

Male blues at minerals can be some distance from the host plant but female blues generally stay closer. So the presence nearby of kidney vetch (little) or sainfoin (Osiris) could help you decide.

Definitely green-underside, not black-eyed.

Both the Plebejus blues are idas.

By my criteria, both the wood whites are sinapis, but those criteria were developed before cryptic wood whites hit the scene...

I shall have a look at the Mellicta now.

I may be some time.

Guy

[Padfield]

I'm inclined to go for heath frit for all the Mellicta. I'd be interested in someone else's opinion because there is huge variation here and you'd think you'd got more than one species, wouldn't you?

Guy

[Reverdin]

I sort of had the plebeji (sorry ) down as Reverdin's , well maybe not the last ones .... and the 4th to 6th mellictae as Meadow.... now preparing to bail out

[Padfield]

Even though I thought quite a long time before ending up with Idas, I think I was wrong (for the first four). On my computer screen they still come out the wrong colour for Reverdin's but the pattern is just too extreme for Idas. It's a pity there are no females, because these are easy and definitive.

So, if the habitat and locality are right, I change my vote and agree with Reverdin (who ought to know! ). In fact, I even think the last one is probably Reverdin's too.

I still can't see meadow fritillary in the Mellicta, though...

Guy

[Lee Hurrell]

Many thanks, Guy and Rev.

Guy, I was in range for Tufted Marbled, and have shots from this and other locations and be interested for your thoughts.

Good news on the Skippers - I was really hoping for Lulworth!

I'm pretty sure sainfoin was present but on balance I'll stick with minimus, to be safe. This was the last chance for Osiris and I wanted to be sure! As you said before, there is always better to come

I think I'll have to record the Wood Whites as simply as WW spp.

I would have thought there was more than one species of Mellicta. From previous ID's I though Meadow had more colour in the basal area of the hind wing and were generally less heavily marked in s1 of the forewing. I'd be interested to know how you seperate them, if you have any special methods? I still need to learn a lot I think!

Reverdin's - I'll go with that!

Thanks again both,

Lee