Marseilles checklist 2014

[Chris Jackson]

Sunday March 2nd
SPECIES No. 13: Painted Lady
During a late morning stroll on the outskirts of Marseilles today (blues skies and 14°C in the shade), I was most intrigued to spot a Painted Lady so early in the season. Perhaps you will get migrants in the UK earlier than usual this year?
cardui, Marseilles, March 2nd:

I owe you a Holly Blue photo since my 1st sighting on Feb. 15th, so here it is, argiolus, female, 1st brood, Marseilles, March 2nd:

There were plenty of Speckled Woods flying around at lunchtime, plus one Large Tortoiseshell in a wooded area, which is here:

Here is a male Large White 1st brood from the scrub near my work in Vitrolles on Feb. 27th, a couple of days ago:

plus a Narcissus dubius of the Daffodil family, which is only 6 inches tall, and which adores the arid Mediterranean scrub (though its not very arid at the moment):

Cheers, Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Friday March 7th
SPECIES No. 14: Swallowtail
SPECIES No. 15: Small White
Warmest day so far with +19°C, blue skies and no wind. Aaahhhhh!!
Lunchtime at work, I went out into the scrub looking for both machaon and rapae and found both of them, a few days ahead of schedule compared with 2013.
Swallowtail, March 7th, Vitrolles

Small White, March 7th, Vitrolles

And just for the pleasure: Large Tortoiseshell, March 7th, Vitrolles, in a nearby copse, near oak trees - I never see these in the open scrub

Holly Blue, March 7th, Vitrolles, in a nearby copse, not in open scrub

My work colleagues go to the restaurant at lunch time in true French fashion, I lurk around in the scrub - each to his own !
This should be an excellent week-end down here weather-wise, and I wish the same for UKBFers back in the UK (and overseas).
Cheers, Chris

[LancsRover]

Hi Chris, Love the swallowtail, I think I've seen 2/3 in flight down here but I can't confirm that's what they were(with my eyesight )
I also went out at lunch time for about an hour(I had to be back for 2 pm boules, it's a hard life being retired), I only saw plenty of "whites" and nothing else, it's been poor here for b/fs, I'm glad I'm moving tomorrow.

Have a good weekend,

Cheers Russ.

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks Russ,

Thursday March 13th
SPECIES No. 16: Scarce Swallowtail
Lunchtime: My first Scarce Swallowtail of the year, although it has had time in its short life already to lose a bit of its tail:

It was the only Scarce Swallowtail around, as was the Old World Swallowtail who is still around from last week (so no mates).
Context for the Scarce Swallowtail:

If I turn 180° and look down from the plateau of Vitrolles, you will see my secret Olive grove (private property!):

A quick stroll in the Olive grove before going back to work revealed Large Tortoiseshells near the oak trees and a few Green Hairstreaks:

In sequence, I am now expecting sightings of Bath White then Orange Tip (fingers crossed for this weekend, although a good 2 weeks early for the Orange Tip compared to last year).
Cheers, Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Saturday 15th March
This weekend, Spring seems to be marking a pause despite a temperature of 20°C. No new species for me today, however I knew who this chap was before he even settled in the Lime tree. He likes to stay up high-ish and only rarely comes down to head height. His predecessors used this same Lime tree last year and the year before so I knew where to find him just when the tree is coming into bud.
celtis trying to suck some sustenance from a Lime tree bud:

celtis perched at top of Lime tree - full zoom from ground with Panasonic FZ150 then cropped

The Lime tree looking rather bare:

Cheers, Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Sunday March 16th
SPECIES No. 17: Bath White
Very much on-time compared with last year. A warm and sunny day with 20°C. This female seemed to be ovipositing which is the only reason I managed to photograph it, others just refused to stop.
Bath White female:

Context - plateau of Vitrolles in an area I've never visited before:

If predictions are correct, next should be Orange Tip in a week or so's time.
Cheers, Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Monday March 17th
SPECIES No. 18: Small Copper
At lunchtime at work today, 21°C, my corner of scrub-land was heaving with BFs, and I had to duck out the way of battling Wall Browns, Swallowtails and Scarce Swallowtails. There were 2 Small Coppers that almost went unnoticed amongst the smaller species (rubi and pirithous) and other flying insects.
Here is one Small Copper:

and a better shot than last week's of a Scarce Swallowtail (without cropping if you please!):

Cheers, Chris

[David M]

Fascinating stuff, Chris. I'm most envious. You really have quite an oasis there.

[Chris Jackson]

What wouldn't I do down here David to see a Peacock or a Brown Hairstreak ...?

Tuesday 18th March
SPECIES No. 19: Green-veined White
Another lunchtime in the low 20s. A trip round the olive grove revealed a GVW that would not fly far from its puddle, still drying up from 2 weeks back. This behaviour is new to me because I rarely see GVWs - this is only my 3rd ever, but it gave me some good shots:

Context - the olive grove - puddle along this path:

Cheers, Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Monday 24th March

SPECIES No. 20: Mallow Skipper
This week is forecast to be around 14°C and windy. Probably the most seasonally-correct weather this year so far, blustery and sunny with showers, the equivalent of "April showers" in the UK. Hence at lunchtime I was lucky to see a couple of Small Whites and this Mallow (not Marbled) Skipper, who didn't hang around long:

down in the olive grove, with these Grape Hyacinths:

Cheers, Chris

Edit: Changed Hyacinth photo

[Padfield]

Hi Chris. Just to be a pedant - and not at all because it is snowing here - that's a mallow skipper, not a marbled skipper. It's still your 20th species, though, I believe.

Guy

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks for pointing that out Guy. I will have a closer look at my T&L when I get home.
Chris.

Later ...... I've corrected my entry from Marbled to Mallow ... and its still my 20th!

[Chris Jackson]

Friday March 28th

SPECIES No. 21: Moroccan (Provence) Orange Tip (euphenoides)
SPECIES No. 22: Orange Tip (cardamines)
Lots of energy was spent trying to photograph both of these. The Moroccan Orange Tip flew up and down the path without stopping, barely hesitating each time it passed one of its host plants (see below), so this photo was taken in flight with me running behind it.
euphenoides:

euphenoides2_13 St Marcel 28 Mar 2014.JPG (47.31 KiB) Viewed 624 times

The LHP of euphenoides -Biscutella laevigata- is too early to see its characteristic seeds that the caterpillar feeds on:

My first Orange Tip this year in the local scrub also refused to stop near me, and I spent 2 hours chasing it with no photo better than above. I now realise that it didn't stop because it had nothing to feed on, but as I rounded the corner almost back home, there was one on a thistle that posed very nicely for me.

All of my Pierids are out now except for Black-veined White, that is, if I see one this year. The next species on my calendar theoretically are the Common Blue and Western Marbled White, towards the end of April.

There was also a Nettle-tree Butterfly on a Fig tree locally.

Cheers, Chris

[LancsRover]

Hi Chris
I had to laugh when I read your report on the Orange Tips, it only took me a week of running around over rough ground to get a half decent pic.

Cheers Russ

[Chris Jackson]

At least its keeping me trim, Russ!

Monday 31st March

SPECIES No. 23: Baton Blue
Lunchbreak, 19°C, out in the scrub - I havn't seen one of these for 2 years.
In French it is called the "Azuré du thym", and indeed it is feeding on thyme which is in flower at the moment:

Going back to my sighting of a Moroccan Orange Tip higher up, here is a better shot of its LHP, Biscutella laevigata, showing its seed pods:

Cheers, Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Saturday 05 April

SPECIES No. 24: Geranium Bronze
In my garden in Marseilles today, Geranium Bronze for the first time this year:

better photos of this one to follow no doubt (+ photos of my tomato plants coming up soon!!).
Here is a better photo of euphenoides, an improvement from last week (Russ will appreciate this one I hope
It is perched as usual on its LHP, Biscutella laevigata in local scrubland

The Rock Rose is starting to flower in the scrub today:

Photo of eggs on Wild Mustard leaf on local wasteland - rapae eggs ? can someone confirm please ?

Cheers, Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Sunday 6th of April

A lovely Spring day in Provence. Early afternoon on the outskirts of Marseilles I went looking for Moroccan Orange Tip caterpillars and found 6 easily, on their LHP, Biscutella laevigata:

whilst a murder was being committed next door:

context for the M.O.T. caterpillars:

another photo of a Moroccan Orange Tip this afternoon, very much indissociable from its LHP:

Cheers, Chris

[Vince Massimo]

Hi Chris, love the Moroccan Orange Tip

The eggs most likely belong to the Large White. Whilst these are usually laid in tight batches, I have found instances where they form open clusters. See the image at the end of this report http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/reports_ ... 0GU5YV7Q_w

In your case they appear to be quite shrunken and desiccated, so may not all hatch.

Vince

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks Vince, I'll keep my eyes on the eggs to see what happens next.
Your study via the link you have indicated is excellent!
When I find one caterpillar I am so chuffed with myself, but when I see the depth of subject that other people manage to achieve, its amazing - bravo !!
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Thursday 10th April

SPECIES No. 25: Spotted Fritillary (didyma)
SPECIES No. 26: Glanville Fritillary (cinxia)
SPECIES No. 27: Brown Argus (agestis)
As soon as lunchtime came around I was out the office with my camera and down the gulley into the olive grove. Perfect conditions, 22°C, blue skies and no wind. I was expecting to find these species in this place some time soon, but they seem to be a bit earlier this year.
Spotted Fritillary (I will improve on this photo shortly):

Glanville Fritillary (in French it is called "Mélitée du plantain", and this individual is perched on "plantain" or "fleawort"):

Brown Argus:

Here is a context photo down in the olive grove. Each species has its preference, they live either on the side of the path where it is relatively lush, or on the other side where there is dry scrub, or just along the path itself without venturing left nor right!

Cheers, Chris