www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Back from another visit to the French side of the Pyrenees and I always seem to come here with identification questions...
0153 (third image) was at about 5400 ft, the other two much lower altitude, perhaps 1500 ft and all were seen in early September this year.
0646 (first image, is this a moth rather than butterfly?) was abundant, not just on buddleia, for a couple of days in one locality, they seemed to be on every bush in swarms.
Any help with identifying these will be gratefully received. Thanks in advance.
David

The second image is a Speckled Wood (the British race is darker brown with cream speckles) and the last is a female Sooty Copper Sorry I can't help with the moff

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks, Wurzel, I'd looked at Speckled Wood in the Collins but somehow missed it! Thanks for the other too, a first for me. Need a mother now...

The moths are Box-Tree Moths (Cydalima perspectalis), an Asian species that's been established in France for a little while and has built up some really impressive populations (like this - https://twitter.com/jayrayner1/status/1 ... 8313867269). It's considered a pest there, and has made it to the UK in the last few years.

Cheers,

Will

Crikey, I see what you mean, that video is quite surprising. Thanks for the identification.

Hi Dragnil. In fact, the copper is a scarce copper, the giveaway being the white marks visible on the underside hindwing. From the upperside it does look a little like a female sooty copper, but in the flesh you would have seen that this is bigger than a normal sooty copper too.

Guy

William wrote:The moths are Box-Tree Moths (Cydalima perspectalis), an Asian species that's been established in France for a little while and has built up some really impressive populations..

Indeed. There were pestilent numbers in parts of the Alps this year. Not quite sure why, given that butterfly numbers generally were very poor.

Thanks, Guy!
A local butterfly expert was saying that numbers have been very poor in the Pyrenees this year also. A late spring followed by a blistering hot spell then storms seems to have affected much of the plant life and therefore other nature. The bird life was very sparse with many expected birds not seen. It seemed that very few bushes were bearing fruit. Hopefully a one-off phenomenon, it can't be a long tern change in the climate – nice Mr Trump says so.
(Sorry, mustn't be provocative...)

A few more from France.Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste .
Box tree moths were also seen in numbers on the buddleia trees at Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste Also seen at the same location.
Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia) ? Jersey tiger moth.Euplagia quadripunctaria https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/f110277645