Sorrento, September 2016

[Matsukaze]

Just back from a couple of weeks on the Sorrento peninsula in southern Italy. Accessing good butterfly country was a little tricky but, when managed, was worth it.

This is why I enjoy southern European butterflies - four from different families in one picture and I was not sure at the time what any of them were...in retrospect, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Spotted Fritillary, Red-underside Skipper?

Various graylings abounded in the hills. This one joined us for coffee - it is classified by some as a species endemic to the Bay of Naples, Hipparchia neapolitana.

The most common of them was Tree Grayling; they appeared larger and darker than the ones I have seen in southern France.

Other satyrids included Wall, Large Wall and Woodland Grayling.

Only two species of fritillary - the Spotted Fritillary above and a pair of Silver-washed Fritillaries, high in the hills, both apparently freshly emerged. Here is the male.

[Padfield]

Kudrna says Hipparchia blachieri (= H. blachieri + H. neapolitana) is definitely specifically distinct from H. aristaeus (in Tolman it is a subspecies of aristaeus). Leraut agrees. Both count the mainland population (formerly H. neapolitana) as conspecific with blachieri.

Guy

[Chris Jackson]

... Red-underside Skipper? .....

Hi,
At first glance it certainly looks like the Red-underwing Skippers I get around Marseilles.
Perhaps your question is, is it Orbed RUS ?
That I can't tell. Distribution however, it seems to me, would have Orbed further East of where you were.
Cheers, Chris

[Matsukaze]

Guy - sometimes it seems that Linnaeus came up with the binomial system so we have standard names for species, and the science of taxonomy exists to bring confusion and chaos to Linnaeus' system...

Chris - no, simply trying to distinguish Spialia from Pyrgus. After this holiday where the species turned up here and there, I have seen perhaps as many as eight Spialia, all sertorius. I usually see a handful of Pyrgus a year here in England, where identification is not really an issue, and most years a few individuals when abroad. I also have difficulty distinguishing both genera from Muschampia or whatever the genus is that Sage Skipper has been assigned to this week.

The Pyrgus-Spialia insects I saw in Italy all appeared to be Red-underwing Skipper, which was the most common of the skipper species. I also came across a single Carcharodus, which I am fairly sure is Mallow Skipper, and a single Gegenes, I think pumilio rather than nostrodamus - can anyone confirm this?

[John Vergo]

Hi
Yes your Mallow Skipper is right ( 2th brood) and the other one is a pumilio female
john

[Matsukaze]

Thanks for the skipper ID John.

Continuing with this...

There was a small group of urban blue species that turned up regularly here and there, but the grassland blues were only really evident at one site, where there were several species on the wing. Some of them were obviously Common Blue, but I could do with some help putting a name to some of the others.

Presumed male Common Blue, though slightly on the large side and to my mind the shade of blue was a little odd.

Female Chalkhill Blue? Mid-September is a little late in the year but this was at about 1200m. I am not sure what else it can be.

This male blue lacks the Common Blue cell spot, but otherwise would have been a good fit for that species.

This one was about the right size for Brown Argus and had a silvery colour in flight. However, when it stopped, the underside markings were clearly wrong.

I'm fairly sure this is another Common Blue, but the markings were noticeably heavier than on the other butterflies and, I think, it was a little smaller.

[bugboy]

Your male Common blue lacking the cell spot is I think a Chapmans. I'm basing this on the discussion on this thread viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9124
I would mention that I have no experience of Chapmans in the flesh so don't go taking this as gospel, I'm sure others on here can confirm whether I am correct or not

*Edit* might stick my neck even further out and suggest Chapmans for the final female as well...

[Padfield]

Bugboy is right. The androconia are conclusive.

Guy

[bugboy]

Bugboy is right. The androconia are conclusive.

Guy

Yay I've learnt something

[Matsukaze]

Excellent - a new species for me. Thanks folks.

I know what the androconia do and where they are meant to be on Chapman's Blue, but what do they actually look like? I've seen a fair few photos of the species over the years without being any the wiser.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the other blues?

[Chris Jackson]

... androconia .. Chapman's Blue .. actually look like?

Hi Matsukaze,
With Chapman's Blue male, the androconia are supposed to be visible as a lighter patch compared with an upperside view of male Common Blue.
I have limited experience with this. It seems to depend on different factors and can be variable. I personally have a photo of a worn individual where this is not visible, and a photo of another fresh individual where the lighting is not right and so once again it is not visible.
However, this characteristic does seem visible in your photo, here :

Dsc07665.jpg (11.21 KiB) Viewed 980 times

Good for you . Keep this particular photo.
More generally, Roger Gibbons has an excellent web page on P. thersites here : http://www.butterfliesoffrance.com/html ... rsites.htm
To be followed,
Chris

[Padfield]

Yes, your photo is about as good as it gets for showing the androconia. In the field, when you can move your head to change the angle, this feature is easy, constant and reliable. The cells of common blues look bare and naked by comparison. Photos do not always bring it out, especially if the resolution is not high enough to show texture.

You have called the other blues correctly (I agree with Buggy that the second female is Chapman's).

Guy

[Matsukaze]

Thanks folks - I think I have the difference now. I am not sure whether to be relieved or not that all my UK photos seem to look like icarus. Now to check the overseas ones...

[Matsukaze]

Geranium Bronze is doing well in the towns and cities, as one would expect now. What was interesting to notice on this trip is that the local lizards seem to have wised up to the new species in their midst, even lying in wait on the pelargoniums.

[Kip]

I used to have the same issue with Chapman's until I became properly aquainted. This image may help, showed the androconial patch quite well as it happened....

[David M]

I always think Chapman's has a far richer shade of blue on its upperside. As well as lacking the cell spot, the submarginal spots are also far bolder:

Chapman's:

Common Blue: