www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Guy/RogerG This is the upperside of one of the possible Oberthur's that Nick posted earlier on.
Hope it is some help.

Interesting. That's malvae to me. Do you happen to know if it's the first or second of the pair Nick posted?

Guy

Guy
It was this one....

Question mark on those Grizzlies then
I didn't get an upper-side...

Paul at the Airport: Day 0... First morning from hotel window..... "OK, Foggy; just give us the car keys..." ..and we do mean "roadside"...

I think my spring trip might just have to be Provence next year ...

Roger, that's Nick's second skipper - the one I immediately thought was malvae/malvoides. The first one still leaves doubt in my mind (though I discount rosy). Typically, the hw discal band in armoricanus is more complete than in malvae. The lower spots in malvae are small and often point-like. That's not the case in either individual there, so it may be there are local differences that make ID difficult without knowing the region. But I now think the safest bet, without an upperside of the first, is malvae/malvoides in both cases.

Guy

To finish off my Peirids...
apologies

I haven't worked out whether this one has been exhaustively discussed... if so a one word ID will do

A definite Chapman's... underside only, second finger ( cringe) pic just to confirm lack of cell spot, and a record shot of the single de prunner's we saw...

Guy
These two butterflies were quite interesting in that, when Nick found them, they were roosting about a metre apart.
When we tried to position them close togther for a photograph, they moved very rapidly away from each other, a number of times. Most odd.
Nick spent more time with the other one, so may have an upper side.
Var/Provence/Alpes Maritime is very certainly on my "must visit again" list. Perhaps meet you there?

A few more "holiday snaps"...
A nice hilly site... ..the mountains were, atmospheric, and wet!

More of the scenery... Alpine vista..

A trilogy of undersides..

Adonis... Chapman's... and Chequered..
N

...and I do do "arty" too.....
With no apologies for those who don't like macro.... N

Paul, your one word ID skipper is most likely another onopordi. This seems to have been skipper of the trip! Coincidentally, I have found it very strong this year at my site in Switzerland for it (I only know one site at the moment).

The pictures are too good and coming too thick and fast to comment on all of them!! Fantastic stuff!

Roger, I'll certainly contact you if I do a pre-planned trip to Provence next spring. But I'm currently thinking in terms of taking my bicycle and bivvying. That way I can leave any time the weather is forecast to be good - even zooming down on a Friday night in term time and getting back on Sunday, having spent all Saturday in the wild. In good weather the trip can be short.

I've done a lot of bivvying in Switzerland, but only done it once in Provence. That was with Tim Cowles, who was sacked up about 5m away from me on a hillside. All the mosquitoes crowded round his head and none came anywhere near me - I had a beautiful and very comfortable night to remember!!

Guy

padfield wrote: Roger, I'll certainly contact you if I do a pre-planned trip to Provence next spring. But I'm currently thinking in terms of taking my bicycle and bivvying. Guy

My thoughts exactly - A tent as a base and a bike could be interesting;
....but only if you pulled me up the hills.....
N

I wasn't thinking of taking a tent, Nick! Bivvy bags are amazing things. I slept through a rainstorm in woodland once without getting wet, though a slug or two did somehow make it inside!

Guy

padfield wrote:I wasn't thinking of taking a tent, Nick! Bivvy bags are amazing things. I slept through a rainstorm in woodland once without getting wet, though a slug or two did somehow make it inside!

Guy

No - but I was thinking of a tent!
I'm sure the slugs were happy to share your protection, Guy!
Are they attracted specifically to you...
N

These are great photos, guys, I am really enjoying looking at them.

Wow, Nick, that macro shot is stunning!

Thanks, Susie - we all got some great shots...
...now if Roger could only be be persuaded to shoot in RAW....

One that RogerG mentioned - record shot of Turquoise Blue - Plebicula dorylas - See below..
Edit - As it turns out, another Green-underside Blue.....