www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

The morning dawned without a cloud in the sky, and the anticipation for the day ahead was palpable for all guests. After an enjoyable breakfast, we had just a short 5-minute drive to the nearby Veral river. Here we got our first proper taste of the range of butterfly species we were likely to see at lower altitudes in this area over the course of the week. One of the first exciting species for many was Spanish Purple Hairstreak (Laeosopis roboris). Also, a beautiful fresh Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthamulii). Chapman’s Blue (Polyommatus thersites), Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe), Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta), Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba) and Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe) were also nice first sightings for the week. Circling above us were Black Kite and Griffon Vulture. The latter were ever present all week, making us quite blasé about what was an extremely rare bird just a few decades ago.

We moved on to the Ermita Sainta Lucia. Here there was an abundance of various butterflies, but particularly Marbled White (Melanargia galathea). This included a good number of the form leucomelas, which has virtually no underside markings.

Other species included Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus coridon), Damon Blue (Polyommatus damon), Berger’s Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis), Wood White (Leptidea sinapsis), Grayling (Hipparchia semele) and Woodland Grayling (Hipparchia fagi). Our afternoon was to be spent in the Fago valley, and our lunch stop was at the village of Fago itself. Pretty much as we arrived, we were distracted by a large butterfly that flew up from the ground into one of the trees. A number of us got our binoculars on it – a Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)! Sadly, it flew away too quickly for most to take photos, and didn’t reappear in the hour we spent there.

Also at the lunch site were large numbers of Ripart’s Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus ripartii), and our first Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne) of the week. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking down the quiet road in the Fago valley, exploring the verges. Butterfly numbers were huge, probably the greatest number all week, and a welcome change compared to the disastrously low numbers all of us had been experiencing in the UK (and indeed, even in Italy/France), in the weeks before. Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra) and Marbled White were most common. We were also able to separate out both Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyphonephele lycaon), Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis aglaja) and High Brown Fritillary (Argynnis adippe), Cardinal (Argynnis pandora) and Silver Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia). Some of the group also saw the only Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Esper’s Marbled White (Melanargia russiae) and Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae) of the week.

It had turned very hot by the end of the day, so we were all glad to return to the hotel for refreshments, despite the brilliant day! In total we saw 59 species, taking us to 61 for the week.

The day also dawned perfectly clear. Peter had set a moth trap the night before, and most guests got up early to see what the night had brought in. Of course it wasn’t just moths that were the talk of breakfast, it was also the results of the UK General Election the day before!

After breakfast, we took the longest drive of the week to the Col du Pourtalet, at (and briefly) just across the French border. The hope was to see a good range of Erebia and other higher altitude species. However, it became clear here, more so than the previous day, that the season was quite late, probably 2 to 3 weeks late. We did see two species of Erebia. One lone Mountain Ringlet (Erebia epiphron), and all others were Piedmont Ringlet (Erebia meolans). Also seen here were Geranium Argus (Aricia eumedon), Wall (Lasiommata megera), Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae), Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania), Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus), Swallowtail (Papilo machaon), Clouded Apollo (Parnassius Mnemosyne), and Apollo (Parnassius apollo). After about 90 minutes here, we descended slightly to La Sarra reservoir, where we had lunch, and then spent the afternoon doing a short circular walk along the valley. An unexpected sighting was an Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)! But we were also glad to see Red Underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius), Oberthur’s Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus armoricanus), Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), a faded Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina), Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus), Purple Edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe), Small Blue (Cupido minimus), Silver Studded Blue (Plebejus argus), Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) and Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia), amongst others. Perhaps most unexpected was a Glandon Blue (Plebejus glandon), photographed by one of the guests.

We were also treated to the quite amazing sight of 40+ Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea celadussa) puddling together, something none of us had seen in such high numbers before. It had been another fantastic day, despite the lack of Erebia, with a total of 57 species seen on the day, taking us to 89 species in total, in just over 2 days.

selbypaul wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 3:59 pm...Also at the lunch site were large numbers of Ripart’s Anomalous Blue (Polyommatus ripartii)...

That's quite a sight, Paul.

Must get round to doing this one myself at some point.

David M wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 5:28 pm
Must get round to doing this one myself at some point.

Trust me David, it is an absolute must!

A storm had been forecast overnight, and it definitely was stormy. There was significant thunder and lightning from around 3am, and the weather forecast for the majority of the day was mixed, with rain forecast most of the morning at least.

So, after breakfast, my co-guide Peter suggested a walk around the village of Berdun, which perches on a rock promontory above our hotel. Perhaps we might be forgiven for initially thinking beforehand that it was going to be a bit of a disappointing morning (compared to butterflying), as we waited for the weather to get better. It was quite the opposite, with Peter treating us to an amazingly detailed and entertaining history of the town, its culture, the impact that agriculture has made, past and present, and much more. Of course we came on the trip for the butterflies, but none of us would have missed these 90 minutes of knowledge sharing, for the world. We then drove south to near Riglos, for a coffee stop, before a short further drive to the tracks around San Felices, near Aguero. The habitat was much drier here, and despite it remaining mostly overcast, it was hot, and butterflies were flying.

We saw our first Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae), Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia), Dusky Heath (Coenonympha dorus), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Lesser Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea trivia) and Rosy Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus onopordi) of the week. We also got some excellent views of Spanish Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus albicans) and Blue Spot Hairstreak (Satyrium spini). Peter and I went back to collect the vans, so we could bring the lunch to the lunch spot. However, when driving, I spotted the main target for the day, Two-Tailed Pascha (Charaxes jasius), which flew right in front of my windscreen. We decided to set up lunch near to this spot, with the hope of getting repeat views for all the guests. It was a good decision, as there were at least two, perhaps three individuals that kept giving occasional flyby’s and then landing on the partially hidden trunk of a nearby tree. It was hard to concentrate on lunch! One of the guests also showed us a picture he’d taken a short while earlier of a gynandromorph Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus coridon). Extremely rare, so an incredible find.

Pleased with what we had seen, despite the forecast bad weather, we drove back to Casa Sarasa, dropping off half the group, who wanted to watch England in the European Championship football. The rest of the group drove the five minutes to the Aragon river, just south of Berdun, for a short circular walk. We saw nothing new, but did get some good photos of a number of butterflies that were beginning to settle down to roost, including Wall (Lasiommata megera) and Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe).

The weather returned to being gloriously clear blue skies this morning, as we set off for perhaps the most eagerly anticipated day of the trip, up the Roncal valley.

Our first stop was near the village of Isaba. Here we saw Silver Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia), High Brown Fritillary (Argynnis adippe), and our first Comma (Polygonia c-album) and Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) of the week. Peter, my co-guide was quite surprised at how low butterfly numbers were at this site, which is often one the best sites. (We later found out that the storms of the previous day had been particularly torrential in this valley, and we suspect this may have been the cause of the suppressed numbers.) We also had some close views of fresh Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne) and Amanda's Blue (Polyommatus amandus) We moved on to the Col Pierre Marten, crossing briefly into France. It was interesting to see the cloud on the French side of the Pyrenees, compared to virtually none on the Spanish side - a very common phenomenon. We were hoping for Lefebrve’s Ringlet (Erebia lefebvrei), and we were surprised to find very large numbers, perhaps 40+ moving up and down the slopes. Even those of us who had seen this species before had never seen so many together. They weren’t easy to photograph, but because there were so many, ultimately photos were possible. There were other Erebia species at this site, and we confirmed Piedmont Ringlet (Erebia meolans) and Mountain Ringlet (Erebia epiphron). There was very little else butterfly wise, however. But we were delighted to see Alpine Chough at close range, as well as some of us seeing Citril Finch.

We moved downhill slightly to La Contienda Larra Belagua, where we had lunch. We then spent a good two hours walking in the wonderful habitat nearby. Here we saw Shepherd’s Fritillary (Boloria pales), Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages), Small Blue (Cupido minimus), Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus), Adonis Blue (Polyommatus bellargus), Large Wall (Lasiommata maera) and de Prunner’s Ringlet (Erebia triaria), amongst others. But the highlights in this spot were the birds. Of particular note were Ring Ouzel, specifically an adult feeding a juvenile at close distance. Also, a Lammergeier, which showed very well as it flew over twice. Our final stop was a bit of a gamble, where Ghost Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum) had been seen before, and indeed had been seen just one week earlier. Unbelievably, despite the torrential rain 36 hours earlier, the individual plant seen a week earlier was still there. This plant has almost mythical reputation, very tricky to see, even if you know roughly where to look. We were all delighted with this amazing find. What a day!

Day 6 of the trip was spent mostly in the Canfranc valley, and the weather was mostly perfect, apart from a short 30 minute spell at midday when clouds bubbled up, but then burnt off.

We first stopped just north of Canfranc Estacion. The valley sides are narrow and steep here, meaning it was quite damp and muggy, despite the sunshine. This slightly different habitat also meant there were a number of different species to see. Wood White (Leptidea sinapsis) were numerous, and we saw our first and only Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) of the week. Also, Purple Shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron), Purple Edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe), Blue Spot Hairstreak (Satyrium spini), Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) and Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta). I also nearly trod on a very torpid Adder! When we returned to the vans, some butterflies were puddling, including three of the most pristine Swallowtail (Papilo machaon) that I've ever seen. Plus, a beautiful tiny moth called Thyris fenestrella, that none of us had ever seen before. Our second stop was a bit of a gamble, as my co-guide Peter had never searched for butterflies here before. False Dewy Ringlet (Erebia sthenyo) is fast declining in the Spanish side of the Pyrenees, but very little surveying is being done, and the species had been seen just 5km away in France, two years earlier. I'd done extensive research over the winter, and was determined to see if this species could still be found in this part of the Spanish Pyrenees. So, we stopped near the ski station in the Astun valley, both for lunch, and for a lovely afternoon walk. The scenery here was amongst the most beautiful of the week. We inspected every single Erebia seen, over a three-hour period. Almost unbelievably, not a single person saw or photographed anything other than Piedmont Ringlet (Erebia meolans), albeit they rarely settled. Quite incredible really, and left one of the guests half joking that he’d never go searching for Erebia again! That’s Erebia for you. I've personally found that they can bring some of the best delights in butterflying, but in a late year like this one, it was indeed a bit frustrating, even for the aficionados like myself. Given my research, and the habitat/climate here, I have no doubt that False Dewy Ringlet remains on the slopes of one or more of the hillsides in the vicinity. It just needs more extensive and systematic searching.

We did, however, see Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages), Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus), Small Blue (Cupido minimus) and Southern Mountain Argus (Aricia montensis), amongst many others. We then stopped for refreshments in Canfranc Estacion itself, before having a brief tour of the extremely impressive and recently refurbished huge station. Again, my co-guide Peter’s encyclopaedic local knowledge was entertaining and impressive. Our final stop for the day was a crossroads near Atares. In a normal year, this was a reliable site for Forster’s Furry Blue (Polyommatus fulgens). But in this late year, we were not in luck. That said, the scabious flowers were full of other butterflies, particularly Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) in huge numbers, as well as a couple of Long Tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) and Spanish Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus albicans). I also spotted our first and only Purple Hairstreak (Neozephyrus quercus) of the week in some oak trees, which most of the guests were also able to see, fluttering in the canopy.

This had been an enjoyable, if long day, despite the Erebia frustrations! We were all very grateful to get back to the hotel for refreshments and showers!

That's a strong showing of lefebvrei, Paul. Must have been quite a sight.

Shame about sthennyo, as I'm sure you were bang in the middle of its flight season. Ghost orchid was wonderful compensation however.

No wonder the town is called Canfranc Estacion. It wouldn't look out of place in a capital city!

The huge number of lefebvrei here was a complete contrast to our experience in July 2022, David! Though I accept that 2022 was a very early season, and this year was a very late season. It makes me wonder if this species is more of a June species these days, in a "normal" year.

If only I was retired and had more time on my hands. I'd love to spend a fortnight searching these mountains for what other surprises there might be, sthenyo included!

Day 7 of the trip was spent at two sites in the beautiful Aisa valley. Firstly, we visited the very head of the valley, where the road ends. This is a stunningly beautiful place, with the mountains in the background and waterfalls on the river. We spent a good two hours at this location, taking in the views and wildlife watching. This included fantastic views of a Chamois on a nearby rock cliff for Peter and small number of the guests.

On the butterfly front, we were pleased to get our best views of the week of Purple Shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron) by the vans, as well as Apollo (Parnassius apollo). Meadow Fritillary (Melitaea parthenoides) was common, as were Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea celadussa). We also saw our only Provencal Fritillary (Melitaea deione) and False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina) of the week. Silver Studded Blue's (Plebejus argus) were in very large numbers, as were Mazarine Blue (Cyaniris semiargus), both of which were puddling. In smaller numbers were Turquoise Blue (Polyommatus dorylas), Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus), and a sole Eros Blue (Polyommatus eros), that I spotted. Lunch was eaten only a short way away, where Silver Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) and Large Wall (Lasiommata maera) buzzed us as we were eating. After lunch, we walked a short distance to a known spot for the rebeli form of Alcon Blue (Phengaris alcon). There were good numbers of male and female, and we saw a number of the females laying eggs on its larval host plant. Here we also saw Southern Small White (Pieris mannii) and (Spanish) Chestnut Heath (Coenonympha glycerion form iphioides). Also, some very fresh Amanda’s Blue (Polyommatus amandus). Our final evening meal together was another tasty one. Three of the guests were getting a much earlier flight the following morning, and were therefore taking a pre-breakfast taxi to the airport. We all said our goodbyes to them and thanked them for their good company, as we did our final checklist. Our species total had already hit an incredible 112 species for the week, with half a day to go.

Day 8 was departure day. The first flights for the guests were in the late afternoon, so we had the morning available for butterflying. We therefore had just enough time for three short stops in the Fago valley, ahead of the drive back to Bilbao airport. These plans were slightly disrupted by a phone call from the hotel – a handbag (including passport) had been left behind! Easily done, and thank goodness it was found when it was!

So, while I drove one guest the 50 minutes back to the hotel to collect the handbag, the rest of the guests finally saw Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia Cecilia) and Forster’s Furry Blue (Polyommatus fulgens), amongst many other species. This took the trip list to 114 butterflies.

In the end, the my diversion turned out to be in part lucky. When I arrived back at the groups final stop, I had fantastic close-up views of Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia)! This was by far the best and closest views I've had of this species. The drive back to the airport was uneventful thankfully. We said our goodbyes as we all went our separate ways. It had been a fantastic eight days, and there were even a few moist eyes from my Aunty, who had thoroughly enjoyed her first group wildlife holiday of this sort.

Seven years since I'd done exactly this trip before, it re-confirmed that this part of Spain is absolutely one of the best places in Europe to visit at this time of year. The meadows are in better condition than those on the French side of the border. Each valley is different, leading to huge biodiversity in such a small area. And I'd experienced two different types of year. 2017 was a more "normal" year, 2024 was a very late year. And that had led to different species being seen on each trip, but both trips recording more 112+ species.

If you've not been, I highly recommend it. And you never know, you may even find False Dewy Ringlet!

selbypaul wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2024 6:56 am...This took the trip list to 114 butterflies...

Given how it's been a uniquely awful year, Paul, that tally is beyond impressive.

David M wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2024 7:03 pm Given how it's been a uniquely awful year, Paul, that tally is beyond impressive.

I don't disagree David! Given the struggles in the Picos the next week, normally such a superb location, the Spanish Pyrenees total was miraculous!

After dropping off most of the guests at the airport, myself and one of the guests (who was joining me on the next weeks trip to the Picos), drove the short distance to our overnight hotel near Bilbao airport.

I had a free day the next day, with just a 75 minute drive needed to Santander. So the plan was to look for Dryad (Minois dryas) in the Bilbao area. All the information on Observation.org and iNaturalist suggested that in a normal year they would be flying in this location in mid-July. However, the best laid winter plans were not to be.

Waking up the next morning to glorious clear blue skies, we drove to the first of three potential sites. Sadly, the Sat Nav took me down a road that became a track, that then became muddy! With no places to turn round, eventually the hire car got stuck! A supposed 90 minute wait for assistance ended up being 6 hours! In those 6 hours, I did manage to walk to the first potential Dryad site. The habitat looked good, but there was no sign of the target species.

After being assisted out of the mud, we then drove to Santander, for an overnight stay there. Ultimately, it had been a completely wasted day!

After a leisurely morning at our Santander hotel, in which I began writing up the tour report for the week before, at midday I drove the short 15 minute drive to Santander airport, to meet my co-guide for the week, Pau Lucio.

Having come from different places, everyone congregated at Santander airport arrivals lounge in the mid-afternoon, and we were able to set off for our hotel at roughly 3pm. It was grey and relatively cool in Santander, but as we drove south and crossed over the mountain range, we entered the sunshine, just as the weather forecasts had forecast.

About an hour into our drive, we stopped off at a site near the Embalse de Aguilar reservoir, a known site for Forster’s Furry Blue (Polyommatus fulgens), and possibly the furthest west location for this Spanish endemic.

While we had no luck with this primary target, almost certainly because of the late season, we did get the chance to familiarise ourselves with some of the birds and butterflies that we’d be seeing quite a lot of during the week. For example, Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea) and Berger’s Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis), Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) and Chapman’s Blue (Polyommatus thersites), Silver Studded Blue (Plebejus argus), Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea celadussa), Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania) and (Spanish) Chestnut Heath (Coenonympha glycerion, form iphoides).

On the bird front, we saw and heard our first Serin’s, as well as Griffin Vulture and Black Kite.

After about an hour at the site, we then set off for the remaining 90-minute drive, arriving at our hotel in Boco de Huergano just before 7pm. We had a quick unpack and freshen up, before the first of our enjoyable dinners.

We also got the chance to introduce ourselves properly to each other for the first time, and shared our hopes for the exciting week ahead.

After a long day for most of us the day before, we had a relatively gentle first day today (13th July), which proved sunny and warm throughout.

Our first stop was in the beautiful village of Argovejo, where we walked down a track and back, over the course of the morning. Here we saw Wood White (Leptidea sinapsis), Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera), Turquoise Blue (Polyommatus dorylas), Silver Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia), High Brown Fritillary (Argynnis adippe), Piedmont Ringlet (Erebia meolans), Rock Grayling (Hipparchia alcyone), Grayling (Hipparchia semele) and Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe). We stopped briefly for a coffee, before having lunch at a picnic site near Cremenes. After lunch, we spent 30 minutes exploring around that location, where we saw our first Cardinal (Argynnis pandora) of the week. It was then only a quick five-minute drive to another site near Cremenes, where we did a slow circular walk, over the course of the afternoon. Here we saw Spanish Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus albicans), and spent a good amount of time differentiating Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) from Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon), as well as identifying all the Hairstreaks. One of the guests and I also spotted a fresh Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros).

Doing our daily list at the hotel before dinner in the evening, the group total for the day was 57 butterfly species, a fantastic number, taking us to 61 species so far.

Hi Paul,

Your Rock Graying is a Grayling, that's clearly just a mis-labelling, but the main reason for this post is that your Dusky Meadow Brown (H. lycaon) looks like a very good candidate for Oriental Meadow Brown (H. lupina). If lupina is known to fly in that region, I would suggest it's worth further investigation.

These two species are notoriously difficult to separate. I don't have any books here, but I think the two ocelli indicates female. The extent of the hindwing, the degree of scalloping, the "smoothness" of the unh and the near-absence of a discal line, all point toward lupina.

This may be a rare case of the "common" species turning out to be the uncommon one!

Roger

I'm glad Roger mentioned the grayling, as I didn't want to look a smart ***e but I actually really do want to see what the rock graylings look like there, as I have lots of pictures of both rock and woodland grayling from (relatively) nearby Aragón that I'd like to compare and confirm! The rock graylings in Switzerland are of a particular subspecies, genava, and woodland grayling is absent from most of the country, so I get little chance to study the differences on home territory.

Re the Hyponephele: judging from the maps in recent publications, I suspect you were just (but only just) outside the known range of lupina. Unlike Roger, I'm sitting surrounded by books and in my hesitant opinion your butterfly is indeed lycaon. The Bozano volume on the Maniolina subtribe has dozens of pictures of each and the degree of scalloping/anal lobe is perfect for lycaon but not sufficient for lupina. In addition, Bozano illustrates a lycaon from Spain lacking any obvious discal line on the hindwing. I'm not saying it's definitely not lupina, but I'm very comfortable with the ID as lycaon.

Just a thought: could you add some dates in the posts, as well as day-of-trip numbers? I'm really interested in what you're seeing and where, but also precisely when - again to compare with my own records!

Guy

The elements that drew me toward lupina were the unh smoothness – the lack of what Higgins & Riley call “irrorations” – little speckles. That, coupled with the lack of a discal line and the degree to which the hw extends much further than the fw, says 70:30 lupina to me.

The degree of scalloping is a very variable element. If it is highly scalloped, then lupina is highly likely but if less so, does this preclude lupina? Bozano may think so, but if you look at the lupina pages of trusted sites such as those of Philippe Bricaire or Matt Rowlings, there are many, if not most, that show limited scalloping.

Leps.it has this image of a female lupina. I have my doubts about books. They have limited space for each species and tend to show the “type” specimens, and I accept that Bozano may be more thorough. I spent quite a lot of time looking at the Hyponephele section of the NHM to get a good feel as to where the dividing lines (such as they are) occur. However, the curator told me that the collectors of yore tended only to keep the specimens that matched the “type”.

I see a lot of lycaon, in some places it has been very common. I would say that almost none of them look like Paul’s. It probably needs the capture and examination of the upf to give any real degree of confidence.

Roger

Roger Gibbons wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2024 6:46 pmIt probably needs the capture and examination of the upf to give any real degree of confidence.

Which is illegal in Spain, of course! I did once apply for and get a licence to use a net in the Val d'Aran but I had to get references from professional lepidopterists in Switzerland and the permit only applied to the Val d'Aran, not elsewhere in Spain - and only for that year! But this is where the iPhone might come in very handy. Its ability to take a picture before you click the 'shutter' means you can wait for a butterfly to fly and get a shot of it opening its wings. Fortunately, lycaon at least allows very close approach - I don't know about lupina as I've yet to see it! I'll try this out on lycaon in Switzerland next year!

Bozano shows the ups and uns of 18 indivduals of lupina and 30 of lycaon - but that doesn't, of course, mean that the specimens aren't subject to the confirmation bias you suggest, Roger.

Guy