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ID on this Fritillary.from Lesvos
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 6:57 pm
by John Vergo
I saw this fritillary among several M telona, I just think that this one looks more like a M phoebe
Re: ID on this Fritillary.from Lesvos
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:51 pm
by Chris Jackson
Have you considered Heath, rather than Knapweed, John ?
I hope I have learnt my lesson:
Check out the "engorged submarginal lunule"
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8308
Chris
Re: ID on this Fritillary.from Lesvos
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:22 pm
by Padfield
cjackson wrote: I hope I have learnt my lesson...
I blame the teacher!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I'm afraid this is definitely
phoebe or
telona/
ornata (depending on author), precisely because it has what I described as an 'engorged submarginal lunule' (among other reasons).
I'm sure you don't have an underside, John, or you wouldn't be asking the question - but on the off-chance I have to ask! From the upperside I'm not sure it's possible to be confident. I bought
The Genus Melitaea
Fabricius, by Oorschot and Coutsis, precisely to help with this kind of question, but I don't really feel any the wiser. Your butterfly does match one of the figures of
telona very closely (fig. 4, plate 13), and more closely than any of the figures of
phoebe, but
phoebe is so variable I don't know that proves anything. The underside hindwing seems to have the most constant features, though even that is not 100% reliable.
Guy
Re: ID on this Fritillary.from Lesvos
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:49 pm
by John Vergo
Thanks for the answer Guy, you are quit right I do not have the underside, if I have had, I wouldn't have been in doubt
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
so I will put this one in as a telona
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Re: ID on this Fritillary.from Lesvos
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 6:43 am
by Mikhail
The shape of the right-hand antennal tip, clearly visible join your photo, looks more like ornata (= telona). In phoebe it is more gradually thickened.
M.
Re: ID on this Fritillary.from Lesvos
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 5:59 pm
by John Vergo
Thanks Mikhail, a very interesting information
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)