www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I have been enjoying "The Olive Harvest" by Carol Drinkwater.

It is set inland from Cannes in the South of France. It is high summer.

On page 96 she describes a dead butterfly which she does not recognize... can you help ?
Charles

From the description 'distintly triangular' I guessed it was a forewing. But the closest I can think of to the rest of the description is the hindwing of Niobe fritillary, like this one I photographed this year:



I've got a feeling it's not that - but it's a first guess.

Guy

The niobe around Cannes are always of the form eris and a delicate beige and orange, often with very little black lining. I have never seen the much-quoted basal black spot in this region.

People who know little about butterflies would, I guess, describe any forewing as "distinctly" triangular.

I would hazard a guess at a Two-tailed Pasha, there are plenty of them in this region in August:
http://www.butterfliesoffrance.com/html ... rd_28Aug09_

Roger

Festoon of some sort???

Jack

Must admit, the underside of a Fritillary sprung immediately to my mind.

You say the book is set in the environs of Cannes. I spent many pleasurable hours/days in Mougins, to the north of Cannes when I was going out with a former girlfriend who hailed from that area. Between Cannes and Grasse is an expanse of low-lying land between the two areas of high ground. I often thought this place would be a butterfly paradise.

Many thanks for those intriguing suggestions David, Jack, Roger & Guy.

The colours mentioned certainly correspond to those of Guy's lovely Niobe fritillary.

My first thought was a festoon but the high summer might be too late ( unless the dead butterfly had been in situ since earlier in the season ).

Given that Carol could not locate the butterfly in her book perhaps it was an immigrant or a rarity.

The underside of a Pasha's wing would fit the description of the colouring, especially the partitioning of the colours by black lines. The size of the wing ( "two fingernails" is mentioned ) would seem to exclude the Pasha, unless Carol has unfeasibly large nails

If you have not read any of Carol's works I can recommend them.

Charles