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Hello,
I saw this "Grayling" at an altitude of 840 m, in the vicinity of the mountain of Sainte Baume in the South of France, between the Var and the Bouches du Rhone.
fagi or alcyone ?
Any ideas ? Thanks, Chris

To me it's fagi all over. The only really constant external feature is size - all other characters can mislead. But in the western European populations I've studied there are certain more or less reliable features. These include the rather broad, chalky band with ill defined outer edge, the overall more chalky appearance and the lack of a distinct eyebrow following the contour of the ocellus. Studying book pictures from eastern Europe I know these characters are not universal but they have worked well enough for me, in France, Switzerland and Spain.

Guy

Thanks Guy,
I ll put this down as fagi then.
I ve noticed that the PACA butterfly atlas doesnt even mention alcyone.
Chris

I haven't got the atlas but it probably uses the name hermione rather than alcyone, following current orthodoxy.

Guy

alcyone is now known as hermione!

M.

Thanks Guy and Mikhaïl,
The PACA butterfly atlas doesn't include hermione either
Chris