Chris Jackson in Marseilles

[Wurzel]

That's a quick turnaround Chris from adult to eggs in a few weeks - are the imagos still flying?

"There must be areas (in France) where 2 subspecies cohabitate - now that must be fun in the field "...I think I'd get the shots and then sort out the IDs during the winter months, roaring fire going, beer closer to hand than Tolman I had no idea that France had that many subspecies of Marshie - it looks like the 'splitters' aren't just present in the Birding world .

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I'm sure you'll be getting your share of butterfly sightings in the weeks to come, David, French hecate will wait.
Indeed, down here in the south many species will have stopped flying but will just be starting in the Pyrenees when you are there.

Hope you're right, Chris. Things certainly look far more promising than last year, where conditions were about as bad as you could expect.

I still reckon 100+ species is possible in a week at that time of year. I shall be trying my best to achieve that!

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Chris. .... Loved your Spotted Fritillary chrysalis pictures. What an amazing creature this fritillary is, in all its stages!

Thanks Essex,
I'm still waiting for the butterfly to emerge so that I can recover the empty pupa!!
For me, now, and down here, early stages provide just as many photo opportunities as the imagos, and they don't move as fast
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

That's a quick turnaround Chris from adult to eggs in a few weeks - are the imagos still flying? ..... Wurzel

Yes Wurzel, the imagos are flying and in numbers on many of my sites. Here is the proof :

..... I think I'd get the shots and then sort out the IDs during the winter months, roaring fire going, beer closer to hand than Tolman .....
Wurzel

That's a good life philosophy, Wurzel, I see you're well organised
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

.... I still reckon 100+ species is possible in a week at that time of year. I shall be trying my best to achieve that!

I'm not surprised that your trips are so popular, David, keep up the good work.
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Folks - south of France.

Here are some images from last week end.

Our local host plant for the Orange Tip is Rock Cress or Arrow-leaved wall cress (Arabis saggitata).
Here is an OT egg on the Cress:

This is the Cress :

And here is the context, near Marseilles :

Further upland we can find Black-veined White cats in their last instar. They are mostly found on Hawthorn, as here. BVW cat on Hawthorn:

But occasionally on Wild Pear, as here. Interestingly on Wild Pear they are less developped than on Hawthorn. Hawthorn must be more nutritional - or its because it comes into leaf a couple of weeks earlier than Wild Pear .. hmmm !. BVW cat on Wild Pear:

Context for the Black-veined White cats at 650 m altitude :

Usually I find my Scarce Swallowtail eggs on fruit tree leaves, this one however I watched being laid on Hawthorn next to the BVW cats:

Here is a 3 mm-long Brown Hairstreak cat on Blackthorn at 440 m altitude :

Context for the BH cat :

In the same place, Wood White :

and male Green-underside Blue :

Chris

[Wurzel]

Crickey it's almost possible to see the full life cycle in one sitting with those Glannies Lovely shots of the WW and Green-underside Blue I was a bit surprised at the Scarce Swallowtail egg - it really stands out, I thought it might have been a little more discrete, mind you the imago isn't discrete either is it

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Some great early stage action for you again, Chris. Does cuckoo flower not grow at all in your neck of the woods?

Lovely Green Underside Blue. I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with this delight in 3 weeks time.

[Chris Jackson]

......I was a bit surprised at the Scarce Swallowtail egg - it really stands out, I thought it might have been a little more discrete, mind you the imago isn't discrete either is it .... Wurzel

Hi Wurzel,
Yes, the Scarce Swallowtail eggs are big and quite easy to find.
Here are 2 photos of the same egg:
Again, seconds after being laid:

and 7 days later:

Next I'll get the cat !!
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

......Does cuckoo flower not grow at all in your neck of the woods? Lovely Green Underside Blue. I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with this delight in 3 weeks time.

Hi David,
No cuckoo flower in central southern France or SE France it would appear. Here is its distribution:

cartes.jpg (17.13 KiB) Viewed 3714 times

That's why the Orange Tip uses Arabis sp. around Marseilles.

This really is the peak of the season at my latitude for Green-underside Blue. Afterwards, its finished. Here's one for the road from last Saturday:

You may well see some in 3 weeks time, David - if it stops snowing upland !!

Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Folks - south of France

A couple of images from last week-end.
I went looking for Black-veined White pupae but I think I'm at least 1 week too early at my latitude and at this altitude (650 m ASL), because the cats were still on the Hawthorn and on the Wild Pear.
However amongst the BVW cats I did find one parasited individual protecting its "offspring":

And here's my annual sighting of a Pearl-bordered Frit (playing peek-a-boo). The other side of this individual was worn, so its been flying for a while:

Chris

[Wurzel]

Good luck with the cat Chris Are there any regional differences between the Pearls over there and over here? There seems to be between the Marshies so I was wondering if it was the same for the Pearls, mind you regional variation/races seems to crop up more in the more variable species?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Chris Jackson]

.... Are there any regional differences between the Pearls over there and over here? ..... Wurzel

Hi Wurzel,
In France we have the Pearl-bordered Frit and the Small Pearl-bordered Frit. I'm on the edge of Pearl-bordered Frit territory but I've never seen the 'Small' cousin - still on my wish list - its further inland.
Cheers,
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Folks - south of France

In the south of France there is a time lag between the start of the Southern Festoon (Z. polyxena) and Spanish Festoon (Z. rumina) flight periods - as a rule of thumb in my limited experience and on my patch, it seems to be about (at least) 10 days.
Whereas many polyxena cats have now reached late instars, local to my work place the rumina cats are relatively small.
Today :
Spanish Festoon cat ( 6 mm long ) on Aristolochia pistolochia :

Spanish Festoon cat ( 9 mm long ) on Aristolochia pistolochia :

Context, not far from work. Dry river bed, Vitrolles, south of France:

Chris

[essexbuzzard]

Interesting, Chris. I had no idea there was such a difference, either in flight times or caterpillar progress. Southern Festoon is high on my wish list, having only seen the caterpillar.

[David M]

Thanks for the cuckoo flower chart, Chris. Very interesting. Clearly, it doesn't thrive in the drier environments of the south.

Those Festoon cats are quite bizarre. I presume the series of spikes affords them some protection, given they are quite conspicuous on their lhp?

[Chris Jackson]

Interesting, Chris. I had no idea there was such a difference, either in flight times or caterpillar progress. Southern Festoon is high on my wish list, having only seen the caterpillar.

Hi Essex,
See you down here beginning of April 2020 then ?
Chris

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the info on Pearls/Small Pearls Chris Interesting to read about the flight times of the two festoons - especially as my wife said "I fancy going to Barcelona" today out of the blue - it got me thinking about when would be the best time to visit I think she'd like to see the sights whereas I had (butterfly) sites in mind

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Chris Jackson]

... Those Festoon cats are quite bizarre. I presume the series of spikes affords them some protection, given they are quite conspicuous on their lhp?

Hi David,
Their spikes may well be dissuasive to some predators. I know of other species down here that are much more visibly susceptible to predation (parasites). This is a resistant species I feel, apart from the fact that it is photographically spectacular.
By the way, even today I found a fresh Z. rumina which is most surprising considering that at my latitude they should be about gone.
Chris
The scales and fringes are immaculate on this one seen today near work;

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Folks - south of France - month of May

Here is bit of a catch-up:

Remember the fresh Glanville eggs on Plantago lanceolata from April 26th ?

cinxia35 eggs on Plantago lanceolata Vitrolles olive grove 26Apr19 (2).JPG (73.44 KiB) Viewed 3636 times

In the olive grove near work:

context cinxia35 eggs on Plantago lanceolata Vitrolles olive grove 26Apr19 (1a) .JPG (69.42 KiB) Viewed 3636 times

Well today I just happened on the start of hatching:

Remember the Orange Tip egg on Arabis saggitata from April 27th ?

cardamines37 egg on Arabis sagittata St Marcel_13 27Apr19 (a).JPG (54.3 KiB) Viewed 3636 times

Here near Marseilles:

context cardamines37 egg on Arabis sagittata St Marcel_13 27Apr19.JPG (71.16 KiB) Viewed 3636 times

Well today here is the OT cat measuring 6 mm:

Cheers,
Chris