www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi,
I got a couple of decent shots of this BF near Marseilles this afternoon. Although they are quite clear, the more I browse through my reference books the more unsure I get. This is a rare sight in this particular place. Can someone ID it for me please. Fortunately in this end of season there are loads of these yellow "weeds" around, sustaining the whole of the remaining BF population, which are probably what attracted it - may it last !!!
Thanks,
Chris

Hello Chris,

This is, I believe, a Queen of Spain Fritillary. I saw some in July in my area, but none since.
--
Colin

Definite QoS. I believe they hibernate as adults so they may be around for some time.

Thank you Colin and David,
Glad to see the continental / ex-continental contingent are always there !!
And indeed your photo Colin is a perfect match.
Thanks
CJ

Queens seem to be able to pass the winter in any stage, but it is more a case of going torpid, I think, than deep hibernation. In the Rhône Valley in Switzerland they have still been on the wing in December for both of the last two years and they are back flying again by February in most years - sometimes putting an appearance in on hot days in January. Look for them in October and November in hot, sheltered spots, where low ambient temperatures are countered by still air and plenty of radiant heat.



(1st December 2012)

Guy

padfield wrote:sometimes putting an appearance in on hot days in January...

Slip of the keyboard, Guy?

Surely even at your latitude you don't see 17c+ in January?

David M wrote:Slip of the keyboard, Guy?

Not this time, David!

This fairly rubbish photo was taken on 27th January 2008 (sadly, the butterfly zoomed off before I could get closer):



I saw over 20 Queens on 3rd Feb 2007, suggesting they had probably been flying since the end of January. This is one of them:



2013 was a long, cold winter, but I still saw the first Queen on 18th Feb.

Guy

What kind of temperatures were prevalent on those days, Guy?

One thing I remember from my time spent at university in Toulouse was an isolated, unbelievably mild January day (18th or 19th) where the temperature hit 19c. The world and his wife took their lunch on the banks of the Garonne that day and it is something I'll never forget.

I guess in the UK 14c would be the best anybody could hope for in January.

What about Switzerland?

Hi David,

Although it actually was quite warm in early Feb 2007, that was an exceptional year and in other years Queens have flown when the ambient temperature was barely above zero. Gloves and frozen puddles weather - but coupled with intense radiant heat from the sun.

My notes for 18th Feb this year are:

'It was very cold in the valley this morning, with a chill easterly wind. Nevertheless, a single Queen of Spain fritillary was defending a sunny bank against a small tortoiseshell. I saw four small tortoiseshells in total'.

Here's the beast!



Sorry to hijack your thread, CJ!

Guy

I'm learning loads of things thanks to you all !!
CJ

hi all
first of all hello, ive only just found the site and want to get started
also this is my first year ive really got interested in butterflies , so please go really easy on me (all the latin names will go right over the top of my head)
i live in Warrington and my house backs onto a really sunny path and is full of hedgerows , so attracts loads of wild life, ive also got two very large buddlias with gets hijacked by the peacocks up to eight at a time
so i will get to the point, i spend a lot of time in North Wales and was on the Great Orm in August when i spoted this fritillary but which one

Looks like a female Dark Green Fritillary to me.

Agreed - female Argynnis aglaja.

Cheers,

- Pete

thanks for that. i do believe that they are easily identified from the underside, but the little monkey was to fast for me
thanks again

maverick wrote:thanks for that. i do believe that they are easily identified from the underside, but the little monkey was to fast for me
thanks again

Yes, they're not the easiest species to approach. Easily confused with High Brown Fritillary but these are only present around Morecambe Bay in the north of the country so anywhere else you can be sure it's a Dark Green.