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Hello,

I am having problems with the identification of the following butterflies and would be grateful if any specialists could help :

Chestnut heath or Russian Heath? I have seen chestnut heaths many times in the French Alps and took the picture of this one thinking it was a chestnut but I am now hesitating and think it may be a Russian heath as they are in the region:
The following is I think an Orbed Red Underwing Skipper or could it be Red Underwing? Could it be a second generation of ORU which tends to be redder on the underside? …. Again I would appreciate any help. Is this one Adonis or Common Blue? I would go for Adonis..... All pictures were taken in late June near Bansko (Pirin Mountains).
Thank you.

Sylvie

Hi Sylvie

I'm no expert but I visited Bansko and other areas of Bulgaria four years ago and missed out on Russian heath which yours certainly appears to be, with the spots on the hind wing being adjacent to the orange sub marginal border. On Chestnut Heath they tend to be in amongst the grey of the wing.

The Skipper must be Orbed Red Underwing as you are too far east for Red Underwing.

I'll stick my neck out and say Common Blue for the third species as it doesn't have the dark lines over the wing edges but I stand to be corrected on all my IDs.

Couldn't comment on the first two but I'd go with Common Blue on the third as well, no chequered fringe and she seems to be ovipositing on Birds-foot Trefoil would both rule out Adonis

I agree. Definitely leander (nice!) and orbifer and almost certainly icarus. I say 'almost' because the resolution of the jpegs doesn't reveal the structural details of the fringes, but as Buggy says, her obvious interest in what seems to be birds-foot trefoil, rather than horseshoe vetch, is significant, and the jizz is all icarus.

Guy

Thank you Guy, Paul and Bugboy for your replies, I've just realised how stupid it was of me not to check the fringes.... I was too hasty with my conclusion.
I am glad to have found Russian Heath (or maybe it found me), it was a very hot day and as there was a damp patch along the path, I stopped to check when I saw it flying and landing to suck minerals, it was wary and I only managed 2 pictures before it flew off again. This was the only specimen seen during the hols....

Paul, I had read your report 4 years ago and remember how enthusiastic you were about the country. I felt exactly the same, I thought this part of Bulgaria was very unspoilt and hope it will continue this way..

Definitively worth going (if you don't mind the reckless driving of the locals) for butterflies and other insects : beetles - amongst them we saw a beautiful male stag beetle whose fate was sadly to end up under a 4 wheel drive tyre (I hate these cars!!) and carabus gigas the biggest beetle in Europe, the flora was also interesting and quite different.

Sylvie

Out of interest we did a week in Bulgaria,in the Pirin mountains based at Bansko,and went to the other side of this range,about 2 yrs ago.I have about 1500 photo's to go through yet but will make it my winter's task.If I can find something like a Russian Heath,I will let you know.
P.J.U.