www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Dear,

I've already been requesting some identification of a number of butterflies on this forum. Thanks a lot for that.
Currently I'm setting up a website ( in Dutch) from a Belgian perspective (to promote these small miracles), but with a graphical interface and including latin & English names.

I'm struggling however with the fritillaries & skippers which I photographed in various regions in Europe on the site and I would like to ask if some expert advice could be made here. I could send the photographs towards this forum, but I was wondering if somebody could visit my site and come-up with advice ( particullary the fritillaries & skippers.

The site concerned is : http://www.maanvlek.be - If you want to post your comments you can do this here or send directly to my e-mail address MelisWim@gmail.com.

Thanks in advance.

Wim Melis

First note: I have doubts about two of your B. selenes: The first upperside is something else. Maybe B. dia. The last B. selene might be B. euphrosyne, but I could be wrong in that one.

Somebody else can do Melitaeinae and Hesperiidae.

Excellent pictures!

I agree - the first upperside is dia. I am happy with the last male upperside for selene, though.

I shall now spend a pleasant time browsing the rest of the pictures! Thanks for the link.

Guy

Excellent pictures!

I've just had a look through rest of the fritillaries and there are some misidentifications, in my opinion. I may be wrong, so these are just suggestions:

M. diamina - I think most of the pictures (3,4,5 and 8 with options on 7 and 9) show athalia. I've never heard of forms of diamina like that flying in the French Jura, where they were taken. But 1, 2 and 6 certainly show diamina.

The aurinia look like debilis (same species, but the high Alpine subspecies). Were the photos taken in the Alps?
EDIT : When I first wrote that I hadn't noticed the locations you gave. The aurinia at the upper end of the Val d'Herens are indeed debilis. I haven't seen the species at the lower end, though it probably flies there.

I don't think any of the parthenoides are parthenoides. Pics 1, 2 and 3 are phoebe. The last picture is certainly varia and I'm tempted to go for varia for all of the last 3. I'll come back to them when I have a bit more time.

I think pictures 6 and 7 of adippe are actually niobe.

I'm not 100% convinced the male daphne isn't actually ino, though I find that pair much easier in the flesh, because they're such different butterflies in habit and habitat.

Guy

The skippers all look good to me, assuming the alveus is centralhispaniae or some similar form. The armoricanus from the Jura looks good but it's difficult from that picture alone to differentiate it from alveus, which is more like that in the Jura (quite different from the Spanish alveus).

Guy

Hello, thanks already

One first remark: I'll correct the first selene to dia- I have not seen any B. euphrosyne on the site, so I 'll keep the last photo as selene

Wim.

padfield wrote:Excellent pictures!



M. diamina - I think most of the pictures (3,4,5 and 8 with options on 7 and 9) show athalia. I've never heard of forms of diamina like that flying in the French Jura, where they were taken. But 1, 2 and 6 certainly show diamina.

Guy

Corrected, what about the last one of the diamina list ?

padfield wrote:Excellent pictures!

The aurinia look like debilis (same species, but the high Alpine subspecies). Were the photos taken in the Alps?
EDIT : When I first wrote that I hadn't noticed the locations you gave. The aurinia at the upper end of the Val d'Herens are indeed debilis. I haven't seen the species at the lower end, though it probably flies there.

Guy

I checked my notes- Actually photos taken at Barrage de Moiry.

Willem wrote:

padfield wrote:Excellent pictures!



M. diamina - I think most of the pictures (3,4,5 and 8 with options on 7 and 9) show athalia. I've never heard of forms of diamina like that flying in the French Jura, where they were taken. But 1, 2 and 6 certainly show diamina.

Guy

Corrected, what about the last one of the diamina list ?

The one currently last (fourth) in the diamina page is phoebe. I don't know where it figured when I looked at them yesterday, but I now see the spots near the body, which are a giveaway.

Guy

padfield wrote:Excellent pictures!


I don't think any of the parthenoides are parthenoides. Pics 1, 2 and 3 are phoebe. The last picture is certainly varia and I'm tempted to go for varia for all of the last 3. I'll come back to them when I have a bit more time.

Guy

Corrected. If needed I can redo of course

Willem wrote:

padfield wrote:Excellent pictures!

The aurinia look like debilis (same species, but the high Alpine subspecies). Were the photos taken in the Alps?
EDIT : When I first wrote that I hadn't noticed the locations you gave. The aurinia at the upper end of the Val d'Herens are indeed debilis. I haven't seen the species at the lower end, though it probably flies there.

Guy

I checked my notes- Actually photos taken at Barrage de Moiry.

In that case it is definitely debilis! The barrage is at about 2200m.

Guy

The Val d'Anniviers and the Val d'Hérens are quite remarkable for butterflies. Do let me know if you're in the region again.

Guy

padfield wrote:Excellent pictures!

I think pictures 6 and 7 of adippe are actually niobe.

Guy

Corrected - I corrected as well the adippe photos - coding problem so new pictures.

.. and yes Guy I'll let you know when up coming back to Val D'herens. Thanks a lot.