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I'm am finally coming to the end of identifying the species seen during my holiday in South of France. But there are a dozen or so Lycaenidae that I'm still uncertain about. If anyone can help, I would be most grateful.

Location: Gordalasque Valley (Parc Du Mecantour)
Date: Late July
Altitude: 1200 - 1500

1. The markings reminded me of Lycaena tityrus - Sooty Copper. Not sure about the overall colour though 2&3. My nearest guess is escheri - Escher's Blue 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Thank you for taking the time to look at my post and for any help provided.

Kind Regards Kev Ling

Hi Kev,
I'll kick off with the easy option and suggest Brown Argus for No. 13.
Look at that spot in underside hind S6, it is distinctive
Cheers, Chris

Thanks Chris for the Brown Argus ID.

Regards Kev

Kev,
I would say that Nos. 8 to 12 are Common Blue. However, I may be mistaken.
Chris

Hi Kev
I have been looking at your blues
no 1+7 I would say Large Blue (P.arion) look at the black spot on both wings in the sup marginal and outer marginal area
no 2+3 I would say Chapman´s Blue (P.thersites) no cell spot and the blue upperside and tinged with violet
no 13 agree with Brown Argus (A.agestis)
I will have a look at the other blue
regards
john
Denmark

Hi
no 8+9 Common Blue male (P.icarus)
no 10 Common Blue female (P.icarus)
john

Hi Kev
no 4+5+6 it is either Chalk-Hill Blue (P.coridon) or Provence Chalk-Hill Blue (P.hispanus) they are very difficult to separate, but normally hispanus is lighter in the ground colour and I would say that especial the forewing underside on your pictures (nearly white) indicate that it could be hispanus
regards
john

Hi Kev
no 12 I would say Adonis Blue (P.bellargus)
no 11 could also be a Adonis Blue but I am absolutely not sure
regards
john

Agree #1 tityrus
#2/3 escheri
#4/5/6 most likely coridon
#7 not arion, maybe escheri, but very hard to say with this degree of wear

Roger

When I spotted this butterfly I was sure it was an Argus or a small blue but it turned out to be a Common blue female. There are no Arguses in Northern Ireland and the small blue lacks the yellow wing spots.

Common Blue (Male)

PS What is the yellow plant in numbers 10 & 11 above. (Heres one I took earlier)

(VERY) Common Blues!

If it has blue scales, it is a female Common Blue (P. icarus), as Brown Argus (A. agestis) has no blue scales. It's a little bit more tricky when it is the brown form of female icarus, but there is usually some bluish tinge around the body. An underside view would be conclusive, as has been mentioned many times on this site.

Going back to Kev's #13, I agree it is agestis (just) - but at these altitudes Mountain Argus (A. artaxerxes) is fairly common and not easy to ID (from agestis) with only an underside view (there are clues from the upperside), but the forewing apex of artaxerxes is noticeably more pointed than agestis and that seems to be the case here (although you need a 90 degree side on view to be sure). Their altitude ranges overlap at around 1200m or so, although much higher or lower would be conclusive.

Thanks to all replying.

Roger, your confirmation of tityrus has pleased my wife, who beat me to the ID for this one. A very nice species to see, as was escheri.

Here are the last couple for ID.

1. I'm thinking Chalkhill for this one. 2. Again could be Chalkhill, but did think of Eros too.

Regards Kev

The latter is definitely not Eros, Kev.

I think Chalkhill for both looks favourite TBH.

I think this clinches it!!

Which book is that, Aughie?

The book I found this in is on page 58 of:

The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Butterflies & Moths By Sally Morgan MA
http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/w ... GwodtkMDGQ

Thanks, Aughie. Hadn't seen that before.

Ive discovered what that yellow flower is in pics 10 & 11 plus my own below its called a Birdsfoot-Trefoil, Common (Lotus corniculatus)

Seemingly the common blue needs this for its larve to feed on also wild thyme