black Sea cruise

[EricY]

Just back from family hol cruise, unfortunately an accident @ Manchester airport limited my ability to get out & about. Saw a few birds & butterflies. Gdn @ palace of Churchill Roosevelt Stalin famae Yalta had 50/60 hummingbird hawk moths some Clouded yellows & an oblique shot of one I need id for. Ismir turkey had a Brimstone along the seafront with a lazy flight that revealed a brief glimpse of upper wing, this had a orangy/brown band near edge, never seen it on a UK brimstone but they do seem to fly faster. slight indication of what i mean can be seen in my photo. Also found a wasp there not seen before. Poster at Yalta for butterfly gdn attracted me because it showed UK species. Eric

id please poor shot but all I could get

any id ideas?

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Eric,

I think you'll find your wasp is the Oriental Hornet, Vespa orientalis.

Kind regards. Mark

[David M]

Interesting spot to visit. I wonder what it would be like in mid-July?

Hope your accident didn't inconvenience you too much.

[Padfield]

For the fritillary, I'd go for male cardinal, Argynnis pandora. The colour seems the right tone and the sex brands, without dark spots between them, suggest cardinal rather than silver-washed fritillary.

The brimstone in that picture looks like a brimstone to me - I don't quite understand how the orangey brown band looked but it doesn't ring any bells with me.

Guy

[millerd]

A male Cleopatra? Certainly the orange on the forewing is pretty striking in flight on one of these - I think you can just see this orange on the photo where the wings don't quite meet. The shape of the forewing looks more like Cleopatra, too - less sinuous, and with a less-pronounced "hook".

Dave

[Padfield]

You're right Dave - there is a hint of orange along the costa. I hadn't noticed that. And the wing shape does look more like Cleopatra, though the hindwing is broken and I thought that might be misleading. But the main reason I rejected Cleopatra initially was the Black Sea bit! I thought Cleopatra only flew around the Mediterranean... Now I see the picture was taken on the Mediterranean, not the Black Sea. I'm quite sure you're correct that this is a Cleopatra.

Guy

[EricY]

Thanks Mark for Vespa orientalis id

David M, July is hot see Paul Weltons bulgaria trip. Shoulder still aches having to type left handed!

Guy thanks for frit id

Dave & Guy, thankyou both for Cleopatra info. I have done a sooc crop of the relevent area & attached it. A new one on me as I am no expect on anything much!
Eric

sooc crop of Cleopatra wing