ID request 2 - Erebia Haute Savoie

[Kip]

I wasn't going to ask, but given Roger gave me his learned advice, I wonder if he will have a look here.... Elevation 1500m - species flying were pronoe, aethiops, montana and ?? others.
I deliberated over these sizeable Erebia but finally plumped for aethiops. I do wonder, however, if they may also be pronoe ???

[Roger Gibbons]

I am the wrong person to ask on this one. Of the 238 mainland France species, I have seen 237 and the missing one is pronoe.

Having said that, I don’t think it is aethiops. If it is a female, I would expect the post-discal band to be much more marked and the basal band to be clear as well. If it is a male, the post-discal band could be much less contrasted but I would expect to see some ocelli, at least the white centres.
It also doesn’t look like any Erebia I can think of, so pronoe is a strong possibility. The location is right, especially if it was in that part of Haute Savoie where pronoe is known to fly.

Maybe Guy could help, but his experience of pronoe may be limited to the form vergy, which I understand is very different to the nominate form.

Roger

[Kip]

Thanks Roger.. I saw you don't have pronoe and I assume it's a way off your particular beaten track.... if ever you're Geneva way in early August I can point you to where these were to be found (in France). I hope Guy will express an opinion, but I'm interested you don't think they're aethiops. Lends weight to the pronoe possibility, I can't see them being montana.
Thank you again.

[Roger Gibbons]

I think the best way to illustrate the description I gave in the narrative is with these two images of aethiops, male above.

The post-discal band is marked, more so in the female, as is usual for Erebia, and the basal band is quite clear too. The white-centred ocelli are also indicative. My experience is that these are quite typical for aethiops.

I certainly couldn't say with any confidence that yours is pronoe, just that I don't think they are aethiops and I can't think of any other contenders.

Roger

[petesmith]

It would be pretty low altitude, but am I the only one getting hints of pluto from your second shot?

[Kip]

Well I did wonder, but would it be too low an altitude.... ?? I think there were some pluto flying at another site at 2000m maybe 5 miles as the butter flies, so ????