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Three from Morocco
Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 11:13 am
by Tony Moore
Can anyone help with these three from Morocco? All were seen in the vicinity of Olive Groves south of Marrakech. Sorry about the poor quality of the 'Skipper' pic. I only saw two skips during my week, neither with open wings. I think the first 'Blue' may be
melanops, it was too far south for
alexis, I believe. I fear the other one may be plain old
icarus ![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
- it had bright blue uppers.
Tony M.
Re: Three from Morocco
Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 1:58 pm
by Padfield
Hi Tony. I think your skipper is Carcharodus tripolinus (often called tripolina, which must surely be against ICZN rules). The first blue is melanops, as you say, and the last is presumably celina, as icarus is not known to fly in Morocco.
Guy
Re: Three from Morocco
Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 6:05 pm
by Tony Moore
Once again, many thanks Guy, for your expertise.
My book on Moroccan butterflies (Les Papillons de jour du Maroc) gives celina as a subspecies of icarus. Has it be reassigned as a distinct species in its own right? I hoped the skip might be False Mallow, but my book excludes all Hesperiidae (not thought to be butterflies in France??), although the illustration in Collins of alceae looks good.
Tony M.