Marseilles checklist 2014

[Chris Jackson]

I would like to put my 2014 local butterfly checklist on line so that anyone interested in what goes on down here can have a look in. This will be limited to the département (county) of the Bouches du Rhone in the South of France, and will mainly cover Marseilles where I live, and Vitrolles where I work 30 km away. I am expecting about 42 species alone in our local scrubland park - the Parc des Bruyères (Heather Park) - on the southern edge of Marseilles, just 500 meters from home. Other species in urban Marseilles, plus species from the scrub and fallow land near my offices in Vitrolles, plus any vagrants, should bring my local checklist total up to around 57.

Overview 1 of the Parc des Bruyères

Overview 2 of the Parc des Bruyères

Overview 3 of the Parc des Bruyères + Marseilles

Chris

[Chris Jackson]

SPECIES No. 1: Red Admiral.
January 1st, overcast and 13°C - this is undoubtedly a false start to the 2014 season, but it's a start. The Red Admiral fluttered into my garden and was caught out by a sudden shower and looked for somewhere to hide, preferring the neighbour's garden. There is no forecast for frosts down here for a fair while yet.
Chris

[Charles Nicol]

i am very much looking forward to seeing how your list progresses Chris !!

Charles

[David M]

Me too. There are times when I wish I lived in a location that harbours 50+ species routinely.

The more images the better, CJ!

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks guys, glad to have you on board.
Today, January 3rd, the forecast was for 14°C but it momentarily reached 21°C + when the sun came out. My atalanta suntrap in front of a neighbour's house a couple of doors away, predictedly paid off with this individual in good condition (note the long shadows for 2.00 pm)

atalanta - urban Marseilles January 3rd

atalanta - urban Marseilles January 3rd

I then walked up to the local scrubland park hoping to find my Wall Brown from December 27th, but no such luck as the clouds set in. However, each season has its colours and these photos are from the park today.

Rosemary in flower - Parc des Bruyères January 3rd

Laurustinus Viburnum - soon in flower - Parc des Bruyères January 3rd

Broom - Genista scorpius - in flower - Parc des Bruyères January 3rd

Heather - some still in flower - Parc des Bruyères January 3rd

I don't envy your weather back in Blighty today - I hope it doesn't last too long.
Cheers. Chris

[Chris Jackson]

SPECIES No. 2: Lang's Short-tailed Blue.
January 8th, overcast, 13°C and cool breeze from the south east.
I've been monitoring my patch of scrub at work on the 'plateau of Vitrolles' every lunchtime since the new year, and today I got lucky. All that was required was one glimmer of sun through the clouds and up it flew - my 1st LSTB of 2014 (not far behind Colin ). Viewing my photos afterwards, could it have been ovipositing? - I didn't pay attention at the time.

pirithous Jan 08 plateau de Vitrolles

pirithous Jan 08 plateau de Vitrolles

Here is a context photo of the plateau of Vitrolles

context plateau of Vitrolles Jan 08

As I prepared to leave, a Hummingbird Hawk Moth flew right in front of me. What a start to the season !! (or an end to the previous one).

Hummingbird Hawk Moth Jan 08

Chris

[Lee Hurrell]

Nice one Chris, I am also looking forward to seeing how your season shapes up. Off to a good start!

Best wishes,

Lee

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks for your presence Lee!
Chris

[Padfield]

I'm sure your female pirithous is at least oviposturing - great shot. Very interesting to see the species active and productive in January - let's hope conditions permit its offspring to develop through to adulthood.

Guy

[David M]

It's hard to believe any female butterfly could be actively ovipositing in early January, but, as Guy says, "oviposturing" could well provide an explanation. I guess female butterflies have this kind of behaviour 'hard-wired' into them.

Many times I've watched Brown Hairstreaks bend their abdomens without an egg being laid. Perhaps it's the female equivalent of male territorial behaviour.

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Guy and David,
Thanks for your explanations, it could well have been oviposturing. I wish I had noticed at the time but my eyes are not as young as they once were.
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

SPECIES No. 3: Speckled Wood.
January 10th, sunny at lunchtime, about 16°C and no wind. If I did not know it was January I would have said it was the start of Spring. I positively ran out of my office at midday when I spotted an orangey butterfly on the hedge outside my window.

Speckled Wood, January 10, urban Vitrolles

My offices in Vitrolles, backing onto the scrubland, context for Speckled Wood

Then, after a short walk into the scrub, I totalled 1 Hummingbird Hawk Moth, 3 or 4 LSTBs and my usual, faithful, Red Admiral.

Red Admiral, plateau de Vitrolles, January 10

plateau de Vitrolles, context for the Red Admiral, but photo taken in August

I also saw a largish white butterfly in the distance; I didn't fancy jumping off the escarpment to get closer, so without an ID it will have to remain a UFO.
It soon clouded over but it had been a rewarding 50 minutes or so - anyway, back to work!!
Chris

[Lee Hurrell]

Now THAT'S a good lunchtime in January I'm sitting at my desk reading your diary and although it has been a lovely morning in west London, there's not much chance of a sighting today.

Best wishes,

Lee

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Lee,
It does seem strange not having a real winter (yet). This is exceptional, even down here I would normally expect at least 2 months of cold, no-insect weather running up to the end of February, with first sightings no earlier than end Feb. / beginning of March.
Glad you've got bit of a reprieve where you are.
Cheers, Chris.

[Charles Nicol]

i am really enjoying this window on the South of France !!
please keep 'em coming Chris !!

Charles

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks for watching, Charles,
I hope the context photos add a bit of 'ambiance', and bring a bit of sunshine to anyone who needs it.
Next week's weather forecast down here isn't looking so good, so it may go calm for a while.
When I was on a group ramble today in the creeks (calanques) of Marseilles, it was 14°C, and when the sun came out, several LSTBs came out also.

Chris

[Chris Jackson]

SPECIES No. 4: Large White.
January 14th, sunny, a cool 13°C, little wind. During my lunchtime stroll on the plateau de Vitrolles, this one gave itself away by fluttering briefly then settling back in its clump of Rock Rose cistus. This is surely the 'white' that I thought saw at some distance last week. It was very docile and let itself be photographed very easily - probably the easiest Large White subject I've ever photographed.
Some lower morning temperatures forecast for the coming days and next week.
Chris

brassicae Vitrolles Jan 14

brassicae Vitrolles Jan 14

context clump of Rock Rose cistus

[NickMorgan]

Excellent thread Chris. I am really looking forward to reading about what you see during the year.

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks Nick,
Down here this winter its been very mild so far. Its hard to tell where the 2013 butterfly season ended and where 2014 started - if there is a cold snap, this start could well be nipped in the bud. I try and get out every lunchtime because I just don't know what I'll see next. Today, in the space of 30 minutes, I saw 10 or so LSTBs, and at least one pair was courting. Here, just for the pleasure, are two views of a same male taken today, January 15.
Chris

pirithous Vitrolles Jan 15 - Panasonic FZ150

pirithous Vitrolles Jan 15 - Panasonic FZ150

[Chris Jackson]

Hi All,
Today I went to my local scrub-land, the Parc des Bruyeres, just down the road from home, to check up on my Two-tailed Pasha caterpillars. The TTP over-winters in caterpillar form. I am hoping to note the date that they pupate. In autumn last year I recorded 8 TTP caterpillars in this park. Four have now disappeared (bird fodder ?), 1 other (my most robust subject for whom I held high hopes) has now succombed to some disease (see photo below),

TTP larva diseased 01 Feb

but I still have 3 others who I hope will make it through. I caught one of them defecating (see photos below), which I suppose is a good sign and shows it is feeding and thus has a chance of survival.

TTP larva 2 (1) 01 Feb

TTP larva 2 (2)01 Feb

I found some Evergreen Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum or implexa) in flower ahead of the season. This plant is the LHP for the Southern White Admiral that I hope I will be photographing later in the season.

Evergreen honeysuckle in advance 01 Feb

The Viburnum tinus is starting to flower and is in season.

Viburnum tinus soon in flower 01 Feb

Best wishes, and "Bon courage" to those back in the UK.
CJ