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I've had a go a identifying these skippers.....

Any feedback?

they are lovely pictures rezamink... i think you need padfield

charles

OK, here's a bash!!

The fourth is millet skipper, Pelopidas thrax. One distinctive characteristic of this species is that the little row of three white spots near the apex of the forewing curves outward.

The second is almost certainly oriental marbled skipper, Carcharodus orientalis.

That leaves the first and third, which are slightly more problematic! The first rings of levantine skipper to me, rather than Lulworth. A feature of levantine is that the sex brand is broken at vein 2 - and in your picture it is tantalisingly impossible to see if this is the case, but it looks as if it might be. However, in the third picture the sex brand is clearly not broken - it is long and downcurved. Of the European species (excluding any Turkish ones not included in the European books) I would say this third one has to be Lulworth.

Hope this helps!

Guy

PS - I've just noticed the names you've given the pictures and it seems you drew exactly the same conclusions as I did, except in the case of the third one. Whilst I've seen dark small skippers I've never seen one that dark. Is it something you noticed in Turkey?

Guy

Hi Guy,

I did also see some Lulworth skippers, I've attached a photo... I thought the one I identified as a small skipper looked a bit different?

I've attached another photo of what could be a Levantine Skipper, What does anyone think?

I agree that last skipper is Levantine - short sex brand, broken at vein 2.

The new Lulworth skipper is a female and the original is a male - so it is not surprising they look rather different. The sex brand of the original looks like Lulworth and the pattern is right too, with pale leading edge and slightly paler in the discal area. I would say it is pretty normal for a Lulworth skipper but would be a fairly aberrant small skipper, unless they build them differently in Turkey! So that's my vote: Lulworth.

Nice haul! I must visit Turkey some time...

Guy

Brilliant! thanks very much Guy for your help!

Just looked through my photos again.... I think these two are probably small skippers (I originally had them in with the Levantine skippers but now i'm not so sure!!!)

Unfortunately one is of a dead specimen which I managed to fish out of the swimming pool at the hotel....

Damian

Both females, so no sex brand to help. But I'd say the first does look like a small skipper. The second doesn't really, to me, so I'd go for Levantine again. Something about the shade of brown and the dark on the veins that just isn't like something I've ever seen. That's not a very positive id, I know, but you've got other definites, so the tick is in the bag!

Guy

Thanks very much Guy for your help with the ID's....

Cheers

Damian