Chris Jackson in Marseilles

[MrSp0ck]

Your Glanville larvae are well ahead of ours in the UK, ours woke from hibernation during the warm spell in mid-february, and are just going though their first post-hibernation skin change. so still have 2 instars before pupation, the ones in your photos look like they are around their last skin change or just into the last instar.

[Chris Jackson]

Your Glanville larvae are well ahead of ours in the UK ..... the ones in your photos look like they are around their last skin change or just into the last instar.

Thanks for the info Mr Sp0ck. I must monitor this site closely in the coming days (during my lunchbreaks). I would like photos of pupae.
It is encouraging to see these butterfly species re-populating after natural disasters.
Reminder of the Glanville cats. from the previous page:

[Chris Jackson]

Saturday 09 March

I'm not sure what the weather is like in Blighty at the moment, but if it is like the north of France it can't be too good.
However, here on the south coast we seem to be protected for the moment.
Today in the lowlands the temperature reached 18°C but I went upland to 440 m altitude.

Here is a BH egg next to a Prunus spinosa flower bud. I must admit that not all the buds are this well developed as I write.

Green Hairstreaks are common-place at the moment:

Large Tortoiseshell:

GV White:

And my first (male) Baton Blue of the year:

Cheers,
Chris

[MrSp0ck]

I would like photos of pupae.
It is encouraging to see these butterfly species re-populating after natural disasters.

The pupae are often formed in silk webs like a few moth cocoons, often in groups. the one we found at Hutchinsons Bank was attached to a stone, again a place like on a pebble beach.

[Wurzel]

Baton Blues are one of the species that are really high up my "Wish List" Chris Another great shot of the Large Tort - not one normally seen as most people go for the open wing shot

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I'm not sure what the weather is like in Blighty at the moment, but if it is like the north of France it can't be too good...

Ever since the end of February when we all experienced such wonderful conditions, it's been stormy and wet, Chris.

Looks like that cycle is about to end though, with more benign weather on its way from Sunday (not before time). This should give many of us the opportunity to search out our first non-adult overwinterers (Speckled Wood, Small White, Holly Blue, etc) of 2019.

Good to see conditions continuing to be mild in the south of France. After last year's paltry returns, I'm anticipating that my trip to the Pyrenees towards the end of May will be far more productive this time round.

Nice to see Green Hairstreaks around on your 'patch', and well done with the betulae ova. Hopefully you'll track down a few adults later in the year?

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks for your comments Mr Sp0ck, Wurzel and David.

Down here on the south coast of France we have escaped the bad weather affecting the north of France and the British isles.
It has been quite windy recently which has stopped temperatures from climbing. At the moment we are typically getting 7°C in the morning and about 16°C in the afternoon.

Here are some views of what I have been seeing the last couple of days:

I am getting my fill of early species at the moment.
This is a Marsh Fritillary caterpillar (E. aurinia provencialis) at 650 m altitude on a bit of dead Cephalaria leucantha. Its other host plant here is Lonicera etrusca. The cat is 21 mm long.

This is the context for the Marsh Frit cat - in the foreground are the dead stalks of last year's Cephalaria, the cats feed on the fresh leaves sprouting at the base of the plants.

Behind our offices, in the olive grove, a M. cinxia cat, again 21 mm long. I'm still waiting to witness pupation.

In the same place feeding on the same Plantago as the former, is a small colony of M. didyma cats. These are also 21 mm long.

Here are 2 shots of the said olive grove. Before the wildfires there were 40 butterfly species here, and they are gradually coming back.
Open end of the olive grove:

Closed end of the olive grove:

A newcomer to the olive grove is the Spanish Festoon, on the dry banks of the closed end. In fact the fires encouraged the growth of its host plant, Aristolochia pistolochia. This photo was taken yesterday when I counted 3 specimens, which puts the emergence of this species I would say about 2 weeks ahead of the norm.

When its host plant is fully grown, it looks like this:

And finally, in a different, damper, place, my first Wood White of the year

Chris

[Charles Nicol]

thanks for the latest update Chris. lovely to see the Festoon in your olive grove. the regeneration is well under way.

Charles

[Wurzel]

Great to see the Festoon Chris And good to hear/see the regeneration on the way I used to live at Canford Heath and the 2nd and 3rd years after a burn were always the most productive It might not be the case for all species in an Olive Grove but there will definitely be some that benefit

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks for your comments Charles.

Yes Wurzel, I think you're right about the 2nd and 3rd years after burning being productive. Subsequently, I wonder if there is then a decline as the vegetation starts getting dense again? I will pay attention to that.

And for both of you, here is today's latest sighting, a quarter of an hour away from my workplace during the lunch break. The date of emergence is about right.
A fresh Southern Festoon:

This is the only host plant I could find on the site, it is small but it is just the start of the 3 / 4-week flight period and it will start growing rapidly.

And this is the marshy environment:

Chris

[David M]

Now you're teasing us, Chris - both Festoons within 15 minutes of each other!

Great to see them, a real sign that spring is progressing in the south of France.

The olive grove looks to have recovered extremely well too. Here's hoping you might find a new species or two...

[essexbuzzard]

I’ve yet to see a Southern Festoon and it’s high on my wish list so, through gritted teeth, you get a !

[Charles Nicol]

Thanks for your comments Charles.

Yes Wurzel, I think you're right about the 2nd and 3rd years after burning being productive. Subsequently, I wonder if there is then a decline as the vegetation starts getting dense again? I will pay attention to that.

And for both of you, here is today's latest sighting, a quarter of an hour away from my workplace during the lunch break. The date of emergence is about right.
A fresh Southern Festoon:
polyxena26 .JPG
This is the only host plant I could find on the site, it is small but it is just the start of the 3 / 4-week flight period and it will start growing rapidly.
Aristoloche ronde polyxena .JPG
And this is the marshy environment:
context - polyxena .JPG
Chris

i wish this site had a "drool" emoji

sigh

[Wurzel]

The colour range and shape of the markings on the Southern Festoon are stunning Chris For me they are one of those species that I don't know how I will get to see them - all of my foreign jaunts for the foreseeable future will have to coincide with the school summer break and that's too late for them

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Chris Jackson]

Thank you David, Essex, Charles and Wurzel for showing so much interest in my thread. I don't deserve it.
I must reply to each of you individually.
Meanwhile, and just to keep you simmering, here is the challenge.
Please tell me what are we seeing here with this series of photos. A small colony.
The only clue I will give you is that it is the south of France, in the Var, at the end of March, at 650 m altitude. The BF over-winters as an egg laid on the ground at the base of the future host plant.
Context:

The host plant is here, half covered by leaf litter:

Host plant (Filipendula vulgaris) - coming up now in March:

The cat is 8 mm long

Bugboy should bust this in 2 secs.
However, the answer is a give-away in the host plant.
Chris

[Charles Nicol]

Melitaea ornata

[Chris Jackson]

Melitaea ornata

Try Brenthis sp., Charles.

[Chris Jackson]

The colour range and shape of the markings on the Southern Festoon are stunning Chris For me they are one of those species that I don't know how I will get to see them - all of my foreign jaunts for the foreseeable future will have to coincide with the school summer break and that's too late for them

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I know the problem, Wurzel. Whether you are a teacher or you have school-age children (or double whammy, both) then you are limited to school hols.. My little dears have more or less left home so I've got more time on my hands. The problem also with the Festoons in France is the short 'window' available. Roll on retirement then ?
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

I’ve yet to see a Southern Festoon and it’s high on my wish list so, through gritted teeth, you get a !

The time slot for Festoons is quite tight, Essex. Book an early spring holiday.
The emergence dates can be variable - this year near my workplace it was the 21th March, last year it was the 6th April because of the "beast from the east". There is a rule of thumb which says that Z. rumina emerges 10 days after Z. polyxena. However, for me this year the order was reversed (mother nature playing tricks on me !!).
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Now you're teasing us, Chris - both Festoons within 15 minutes of each other! ....

I am lucky David. This is a very precious time of year and when it is over, I have to wait another 11 months for it to come round again!!
Chris