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Hi All, I took this photo in France (amongst many others) thinking it was just a meadow brown, I don't have any more pics and I didn't see it fly or open wing. Is it just a meadow brown or some kind of grayling?

Russ

Hi Russ,

I am pretty sure it is a meadow brown (female) and not a grayling. However it could be the dusky meadow brown as it is quite speckled on the unh (see Roger's website). Difficult to tell without seeing the upperside. Better to wait for the specialists' comments.....
Sylvie

Hi Sylvie,

Thanks for your comments, I don't think it's a Dusky Meadow because I saw it in the Lot and according to my book they don't fly anywhere near there.
I think it's just a Meadow Brown like you say.

Russ

I agree - it is a meadow brown. The amount of speckling in both meadow brown and dusky meadow brown is very variable, and most of the definitive features are hidden in this picture, but the general colour scheme strongly suggests meadow, not dusky. Dusky meadow brown is usually (not always) very grey on the underside hindwing, without obvious orange or buff. In flight, the butterflies look rather small and greyish. Meadow brown females often (but again, not always) show brighter oranges and browns on the underside hindwing.

This is a female dusky meadow brown, photographed this year in Italy. The colour of the hindwing underside is absolutely typical:



Your butterfly has considerable buff in the colour scheme of the hindwing.

Guy

Thanks Guy for your time and info.
Russ

The speckled appearance of the underside of a Meadow Brown quite surprised me, on a photo that I took at Aston Rowant NNR in July:

download/file.php?id=74716

Mike