Marbled White - Favourite Photo of 2013

[Vince Massimo]

Week 11.

Here is the opportunity to post your favourite photo(s) of a particular species taken in 2013 (or the last time you saw one!).

This is part of a series of topics which will grow over 20 weeks throughout the winter, eventually covering all 59 species which are regularly found in the British Isles. The intention is to showcase three species per week (in alphabetical order), so please wait until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos. Our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants.

Details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome and please feel free to contribute observations of behaviour, stories of personal encounters, anecdotes or other interesting points.

Vince

[Wurzel]

Marbled White

This was taken at Woodhenge on Independence Day during the “rainy season”, the spell of wet weather we had just at the start at July. I was a little unsure whether I would actually see anything that morning but pulled in anyway and set off across the cut grass to the waist high swathes that are left each year. Someone had obviously been here before me as a path had been trodden through the grasses to the other side of the field so I followed this to the other side of the field and then walked along the path here scanning the grass tops for butterflies. Things weren’t looking good so I was just about to make my way back to the car when, as seems to be the usual way, something caught my eye. It was a Marbled White sitting on an Ox-eye Daisy. What was weird was that I’d previously seen that exact flower and there was no butterfly on it. A moment later and there was a Marbled White bedecked in tiny dew jewels. As I looked around again I saw more and more marbled Whites. Most were in groups clustered around and on the patches of taller flowers which were scattered mosaic like among the grass stems. I can only suppose that they had been roosting lower down the stems and now as the morning was pressing on they were climbing up, Pirate fashion, to the tops to dry out and bask. This is my favourite shot as while I took it I felt a real empathy with the tiny creature, water covering its wings and antennae and even running tear like over its compound eyes.

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[MikeOxon]

I didn't photograph many of these this year. I chose this one because it's a bit 'different'

Daneway Banks, Glos - 5th July 2013
Nikon D300s with 300f4 + 1.4X TC - 1/500s@f/11 ISO400

Mike

[millerd]

I luckily have a site within five miles which has proved reliable over the last few years. I keep hoping they will spread closer, as there are potential areas of linked habitat along the eastern side of the M25. Maybe next year. This one is a female seen at this site (Harmondsworth Moor) on 11th July.

The second one was seen very late in the season, on 30th August - this is my latest sighting by some margin, and was spotted close to the cliff edge at Durlston Country Park. It was very windy and this is as close as I could safely get to the butterfly!

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

I am pleased to say that Marbled Whites have been getting closer to me over the past couple of years I found a few individuals at a couple of local spots around Solihull in 2012 and more than a dozen this year .
Not great numbers compared with further south but a until recently they were not here at all although there are good colonies a bit further to the south and west of me so I am hoping that there is a steady expansion into my neck of the woods.

A couple of shots from Castle Hills by Solihull,

Marbled White - Castle Hills Solihull 20.07.2013

Marbled White - Castle Hills Solihull 20.07.2013

.... The second one was seen very late in the season, on 30th August - this is my latest sighting by some margin, and was spotted close to the cliff edge at Durlston Country Park. It was very windy and this is as close as I could safely get to the butterfly!...[/attachment]
Dave

I went to Durlston on 2nd September whilst I was in Dorset and found a number of Marbled Whites, both in the area of the gully and in the upper meadows. As with Dave's visit there was a fair wind and taking photos was a challenge.

I also found a fair number still flying on Bindon Hill at Lulworth when I went there a couple of times during that week, the last visit being on 6th September.

Marbled White - Bindon Hill 06.09.2013

Cheers,

Neil.

[Padfield]

One to complement Wurzel's:



It ws taken near Geneva at the end of July, and if I remember correctly the wet is all dew, not rain.

Guy

[CFB]

These are my favourite Marbled Whites of the year, although the choice was difficult.

The first one very much resembles the f. procida as shown in Tolman & Lewington and also in Higgins & Riley, though neither of these books mention it as occurring in the Alpes-Maritimes or indeed in France. In fact all of my upper-side photos are similar to this photo. Clarification regarding this identification would be much appreciated.

--
Colin

[Chris Jackson]

Colin, you're right about T&L's non-mention of f. procida in France, perhaps it flew over from central Italy - hope you get an explanation.
Below is a top side of a galathea from Marseilles for comparison, I've never seen any like yours over my way.
My favorite Marbled White photo is from the Alpes de Haute Provence in July - the male is on the left I think.
Chris

galathea Marseilles

galathea Alpes de Haute Provence, male on the left

[badgerbob]

Although I have a large colony of Marblies nearby I was concentrating on other species this year so not too many to choose from. It was however a very good year for them again. There is nothing like the 1st really fresh Marbled White of the year!! A stunning sight.

http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.com

[David M]

I didn't pay much attention to Marbled Whites in 2013 even though they're one of my favourite UK butterflies. Best I could manage was this underside shot taken at West Yatton Down in Wiltshire on 24th July:

[Roger Gibbons]

I find dark form of the type procida quite commonly in Provence, none as dark as yours though, Colin. Here is an example, taken near Gréolières-les-Neiges in the Alpes-Maritimes.

I also find the white underside form leucomelas from time to time in Var. Chris, no doubt you also you also see a lot of Western Marbled White (Melanargia occitanica) around the Marseille area, although it does just about extend to the Alpes-Maritimes. And Iberian Marbled White (M. lachesis) occurs near Avignon, about the most eastern end of its range. Esper's Marbled White (M. russiae) occurs in Vaucluse but has so far eluded me, although it is one of my targets for 2014.

[CFB]

I saw your photo on your website, Roger, but as you hadn't labelled it procida, I had doubts about mine being procida.

Here is another one, taken in June 2012:

--
Colin

[Roger Gibbons]

Like many of these named forms, intermediary forms exist, perhaps the best example being the female form ceronus of Adonis Blue females which seems to exist in every shade from the nominate form to full blue ceronus.

I would tend to consider yours and mine to be semi-procida, but you have a good point and I will mention this on my galathea page. I'll also put up this photo of leucomelas for information purposes, even though it's backlit and a poor photo but it does show clearly the absence of markings.

I often find Tolman to be rather unreliable regarding the distribution of non-nominate forms, and should not be taken too literally.

[Chris Jackson]

Thank you Roger for giving us the benefit of your experience. Yes, we do get plenty of occitanica in the Bouches du Rhone.
Chris

[Trev Sawyer]

My favourite shot of a Marbled White was taken on the serendipitous day I discovered a colony of them just a couple of miles down the road from me... I had no idea there were any that close to my house. Fortunately, not only were they present but some had obviously only recently hatched. Due to overcast skies, they were not as active as I am used to finding them (is it just me or do they normally seem annoyingly adept at flying off just as I press the shutter button!) and I was delighted to be able to photograph this gorgeous example:

Trev

[dilettante]

Marbled Whites are my quintessential Summer butterfly. Here's my favourite from Royston (Therfield) Heath, Herts, 7th July:


Sony A77, Tamron 180, flash, 1/250s f/6.3

[Nigel Kiteley]

Three of my favourite Marbled White images, all taken in June, Firstly an open wing shot from a local site, secondly a female from Bradenham, and lastly a male photographed at Twywell Hills and Dales in Northants.