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I've just returned from a trip to the Pyrenees and there's two or three butterflies I'm not sure about. The first of them is this blue. There were at least two quite worn individuals with a similar size to a large blue. The altitude was about 1500m. My initial thoughts were mountain alcon but they seem closer to iolas in Tolman and Lewington's guide. Owen

Hi Owen. That's a worn, male Amanda's blue, Polyommatus amandus. I've seen very similar individuals in July in the Val d'Aran.

Guy

Many thanks for that Guy. I did see a really fresh amanda's nearby but its not a species I am familiar with.

Owen

I got pretty excited when I found this lovely eribia. It was close to a scree slope at about 1750m and I was convinced that it was Lefebvre's. Not so sure now, and I'm leaning towards Piedment ringlet despite being quite unlike the ones I saw in the massif central a few years ago. Owen

That looks good for meolans to me. I don't think it is lefebvrei (ocelli not close enough to the external edge of the post-discal band), and it isn't triaria (ocellus in s6 clearly not in line with those in s4 and s5). It may well be a female, based on the size of the ocelli and from what can be seen of the colour of the underside hindwing.

Roger

That's great Roger, many thanks. Here's the next one. I must have seen thousands of marbled whites over the week but this one stood out. Could this be f.leucomelas? Owen.

That's more 'washed out' than any I've seen before!!

Yes, it is leucomelas.

Guy