Saas Fee

[wardgreen]

Hi All

I spent a week in Saas Fee 2nd - 9th July. My first visit to Switzerland so some help in identification of Ringlets would be appreciated. I've given my best guesses but not necessarily correct.

Thanks

Dave

[David M]

I'm sure Guy Padfield will oblige with the rest, but the last two are definitely Almond-Eyed, as you state.

[Padfield]

Your best guesses are pretty good!

Have you got any underside shots, however poor or blurred, of the one you label mnestra? I'm unhappy with that ID. The one you say you have no idea about might be alberganus (almond-eyed). From what can be seen of the upperside of both wings (the left wing by the light shining through) this fits and the hindwing underside, though not typical, looks OK for this. Alberganus is abundant in that region at that time of year and you would expect to see a range of variation.

Guy

[FISHiEE]

I was also in saas fee on those dates! It is my favourite place in Switzerland and we have visited regularly over the past 10 years and gets better every year. So much diversity within walking distance of the village. July is also my favourite time as everything is shiny and new at that time if year!

[wardgreen]

Thanks for your responses. Guy - unfortunately I don't have any underside photos of the "Mnestra" but very pleased that you could agree most of my efforts at identification.

I've got some "blues" most of which I'm reasonably sure about but wonder if a couple of the photos could contain Osiris Blue

[Roger Gibbons]

a9 looks to be a Large Ringlet (Erebia euryale) mainly on the grounds of the shape of the upf red post-discal patches which looks right for euryale. The fringes look rather chequered which, if so, reduce the options to euryale or Arran Brown (E. ligea).

The euryale upf ocelli are very variable, sometimes down to pin-pricks, but this one seems to have gone even further, although a vestigial black spot seems to be present.

It’s not conclusive, but it really doesn’t looks right for anything else.

Is the central blue Osiris? I would guess not. The unh post-discal series is missing the lowest spot in s2. If it were present and in line, Osiris would be an option. The vestigial marginal markings also suggest Small Blue (Cupido minimus). On the grounds of probability, if you have a hundred minimus and one that looks slightly different, the odds are that it is a minimus that looks slightly different.

I’ve been to Saas Fee a few times but Guy has much greater experience of the Valais variations than I do.

[Padfield]

I agree with Roger. I also had euryale in mind for the one labelled mnestra (a9) but out of sheer cowardice wanted to see if you had an underside before I stuck my neck out! In the absence of any other views, I think this is the most likely ID.

I agree about the little blues too. Nothing in the pictures points away from minimus so in the absence of anything specifically indicating osiris it is reasonable to go for minimus. In the first picture, the one you suggest might be osiris looks most probably a male - I'm not certain on that - and what can be seen of the upperside is dark. I think you would see blue on the leading edge of the forewing if it were osiris. This picture (taken this year) shows how close the blue gets to the leading edge:



Guy

[wardgreen]

Thanks Roger and Guy. I had ruled out euryale because of the look of the upf ocelli but will be more aware of possible variations.

Thanks also for comments on the blues. Just 3 more pictures of blues to have a look at if you don't mind. The first one is, I think, Silver Studded because of the wide border and the dark uhw costa. The second also looks to me like argus again because of the border, although not much to see. But what about the 3rd. The border looks a bit narrower and sharper to me so is it idas? Also do underside views help.

Dave

[Padfield]

They all look like idas to me.

The upperside border is variable in these species but almost always broader than this in argus - and sometimes very much broader, especially towards the eastern end of the Rhône Valley (and its tributaries) and into Italy. This gleaming pair of males was photographed in the Zermatt region - not a million miles from Saas-Fee ...



This is a typical individual from just over the Simplon:



In my own part of Switzerland the borders are typically narrower than that but still on average broader than yours. The lack of scaling in s.5 of the hindwing of your last individual also points to idas.

I would never say 100% from a photo, but I would certainly go for idas, not argus, for your blues.

Guy

[wardgreen]

Thanks Guy. Helpful comments and photos. I'm learning all the time here!

Dave

[wardgreen]

Just a few more for your consideration.

The one I've labelled grisons is mainly because of the dumb-bell shaped marK in upf s1b, which, according to Collins is a feature of this fritillary.
Thanks. Dave

[Padfield]

Your false heath is heath but apart from that, and apart from the last skipper, the IDs are right. The last skipper is difficult to determine but I'm pretty confident it isn't alpine grizzled! From what can be seen it's one of large grizzled, Oberthür's or carline - and my preference is strongly for carline. Oberthür's doesn't fly at Saas Fee, to the best of my knowledge, and the overall feel looks wrong (if a feel can look like anything ...) for large grizzled.

Guy

[wardgreen]

Thanks Guy, one again very helpful.

Dave