Scotch Argus - Favourite Photo of 2015

[Wurzel]

Scotch Argus - Favourite Photo of 2015

Week 14

I would think that almost all of the 'non-retired' are now back at work so here continues the sequence of posts giving one and all the opportunity to showcase their favourite shots of 2015 and cheer ourselves up in the drear that is January!

Please could I ask that everyone waits until a topic has been opened by me for a particular species before posting photos? Of course our overseas members are very welcome to fill in the obvious gaps relating to rare UK migrants. As like last year details of locations, dates, times and circumstances would be welcome as would any accompanying stories and anecdotes or other observations of behaviour and interesting other points.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Another annual visit to Arnside Knott in early August saw a fair few of this species on the wing. Here's a male:

...and a female:

[MikeOxon]

Hi David - your female is a nice example of the tetraocellata ab. -although i think it's almost as common as the 'type'. Yours is a bit asymmetrical, though, with a stronger 4th spot on one side.

Mike

[Goldie M]

I didn't get up to Arnside until the 23rd of August last year, but the SA were still there but not in great numbers that day and nearly all of the photos i took were of closed wings, so this one as to be my favourite Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

A few days up at Arnside at the end of July actually turned out to be a bit early for Scotch Argus this time and I just caught the first part of the emergence with a maximum of around a dozen, all males, seen. I understand that numbers built over the following week or so and they eventually had another good year up there.

Scotch Argus - Arnside 28.07.2015

Scotch Argus - Arnside 29.07.2015

I like the next two photos of the same individual taken a few minutes apart, first in cloudy conditions and then when the sun came out, as they show the difference in appearance under different lighting conditions. Also it is an example of a male with a hint of a fourth spot on the forewings whereas males usually have just the three spots whilst females usually have four.

Scotch Argus - Arnside 29.07.2015

Scotch Argus - Arnside 29.07.2015

Cheers,

Neil.

[Pete Eeles]

The photos I post on these threads are typically those that are full of memories, rather than those that are technically the best. The 2 shots below highlight 2 amazing trips to Scotland. The first is finding a Scotch Argus larva at night at Glen Kinglas (the only one I found, but there must have been thousands, given that I saw hundreds of adults later in the season there) and the second taken at Glasdrum Wood, seeing Scotch Argus ssp. caledonia in profusion there also, which was almost an "aside" since I was there for Chequered Skipper larvae!

Cheers,

- Pete