Spain again

Dave Mac · Post by **Dave Mac** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:35 pm

His wife also likes to take bug pics

[img]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/djfmackenz ... erfly2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/djfmackenz ... terfly.jpg[/img]
[img]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/djfmackenz ... erfly3.jpg[/img]
[img]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/djfmackenz ... erfly6.jpg[/img]
[img]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/djfmackenz ... mantis.jpg[/img]
I think that the ID's are the same as the other spain thread, but I'm not sure about the blue
Dave

Post by **Padfield** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:27 pm

Where were these taken, more precisely?

When I saw the ringlet I immediately thought 'montana', but this doesn't fly in Spain. Very strange - it's perfect for montana! Given that it's not, how about pronoe? I've never seen the Pyrenean form of this species - we have something quite different in the Alps - but in the books it looks very like this one. It's certainly not one of the species I've seen in the Pyrenees, but I always go in July, before pronoe flies.

The blue is most probably common blue and the other Satyrid looks like a rather weary meadow brown.

Guy

Dave Mac · Post by **Dave Mac** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:54 pm

They were in the Auiges Tortes National Park at about 2000 m. Hope this helps
Dave

Post by **Padfield** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:06 pm

Well, I settle by default on pronoe, though as I say I have no experience of this form. It is one of the later Erebia to emerge and I miss it when I go to Spain - and the Swiss form is completely different.

Obviously, an underside would settle the question, but I don't suppose your friend's wife happens to have a picture of that?

V6GTO does a lot of watching in Spain - what does he think?

Guy

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:40 am

padfield wrote:V6GTO does a lot of watching in Spain - what does he think?

V6GTO thinks he doesn't know enough about butterflies!

Martin.

Post by **Padfield** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 4:35 pm

I asked my friend Matt Rowlings to comment and whilst agreeing that the Erebia was probably pronoe, he pointed out I had been too hasty on the other Satyrid, which is a female tree grayling, Neohipparchia statilinus. He's right (

). Here is a photo of one I took just last year (in Switzerland):

Guy

Dave Mac · Post by **Dave Mac** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:43 am

Thanks Padfield, I'm constantly surprised and grateful for your expertise
Dave

Post by **Padfield** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:20 am

Dave Mac wrote:Thanks Padfield, I'm constantly surprised and grateful for your expertise
Dave

Aw!!

That comment makes up for the fact I have had exactly two votes in all the 2007 monthly photo competitions!

Guy