Andy Brown

[andy brown]

Thanks Guy Updated with your comments not sure if I/we had any of the endemic Erebia species, like lefebvrei, gorgone or sthennyo will take a look as I go through the pictures.

Here is the last batch for the first day and think I have the butterflies nailed apart from the first Ringlet however if I have something wrong please comment.

Ringlet ?

Moth ID needed

Wood White - (Leptidea sinapis)

Brimstone - (Gonepteryx rhamni)

Crambus pascuella

Scarce Copper Male - (Lycaena virgaureae)

Striped Lychnis Larvae - Shargacucullia lychnitis

Marbled Skipper - (Carcharodus lavatherae)

Marbled Skipper - (Carcharodus lavatherae)

Scarce Copper Female - (Lycaena virgaureae)

Scarce Copper Female - (Lycaena virgaureae)

Pearly Heath - (Coenonympha arcania)

Large Skipper - (Ochlodes sylvanus)

Holly Blue - (Celastrina argiolus)

Striped Lychnis Larvae - Shargacucullia lychnitis With parasitic fly eggs

Zygaena (Zygaena) ephialtes Need confirmation

Silver-washed Fritillary - (Argynnis paphia)

Blue-spot Hairstreak - (Satyrium spini)

Which Forester

Which Forester

Zygaeninae Felix maybe

Long shot but Larvae ID needed

Meadow Brown - (Maniola jurtina)

Froghopper ID needed

End of day 1, what I have found interesting is the quantity of Zygaenidae out there in the big wide word, will look to see if there is a book available to aid ID's so if anyone can point me in the right direction that would be great

Cheers

Andy

[Padfield]

Hi Andy.

The ringlet is a female Piedmont. The first burnet is ephialtes as you suggest. The next, I believe, is fausta, not felix, which is North Afican.

For the Zygaenids, I can recommend this:

http://www.napeditions.com/en/19-papill ... les-1.html

It is very comprehensively illustrated and has excellent text, with detailed descriptions and maps.

Guy

[andy brown]

Thanks again Guy for the pointers and will see if I can pick up the book at the AIS show in October as I am also after a copy of butterflies of Europe by Tristan Lafranchis. Will start day 2 tomorrow after I go over them again to confirm any Skippers and Ringlets.

Ta

Andy

[andy brown]

Not sure how I missed this from day 1 but not sure if Spotted or Lesser Spotted being drawn to the latter I know there is variability. Either that or I am totally wrong

Spotted or lesser spotted Fritillary

Thanks

Andy

[Padfield]

I would say that is spotted fritillary. The submarginal markings are round and there is no trace of the discocellular vein - I think your picture is sufficiently good to see that if it were there.

Guy

[andy brown]

Evening, here is the latest (day 2) from Spain, again will just upload the morning selection for perusal first, bit of a mix but you know me

Moth ID Needed

Swallow-tail Larvae Early Instar

Swallow-tail Larvae Early Instar

Unfortunately this one died a few days later no obvious reason why

Swallow-tail Larvae

By the end of the week this one had marched of somewhere to pupate

Swallow-tail Larvae Fully Grown

Typical scenery

Where we got the ski lift, a couple of us did walk down though

Elder-flowered Orchid - (Dactylorhiza sambucina) Yellow form

Wall Lizard

Small Heath

Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii)

Fragrant Orchid - (Gymnadenia Conopsea)

Pyrausta cingulata

Purple-edged Copper - (Lycaena hippothoe)

Ringlet ID help needed Please

The afternoon picture are all bar 1 Butterflies

Cheers

Andy

[andy brown]

Here is the afternoons selection from day 2, as always if anyone can fill the gaps for id's and let me know if I am wrong that will be really useful

Zygaena (Mesembrynus) purpuralis Confirmation needed

Idas or Silver Studded ID Help Please

Idas or Silver Studded ID Help Please

Heath Fritillary

Heath Fritillary

Large Skippers

ID Needed

Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe)

Still not 100% with the yellow id and will be posting a few as the days go on so again if I am wrong please shout

Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea) Female

Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea) Male

Sorry only pictures I have of these 2 skippers

Skipper long shot but ID Needed

Skipper long shot but ID Needed

Marbled White

Wall Brown

Common Blue

This is one of my favourite pics of the trip shame it was so windy and I did not get them on a less busy flower to show them off better

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe)

I was more surprised as the week went on with the quantity of really fresh individuals and the size variation for various species.

Cheers

Andy

[Padfield]

Hi Andy. From my experience of the Pyrenees I'm pretty sure your Plebejus is silver-studded. As for the Carcharodus skippers, I'm not 100%. If I had to put money down I'd probably call the first mallow and the second tufted marbled. But I don't have to!

Guy

[The Annoying Czech]

Hi, I don't dare to identify those two half-dead Skippers, but

http://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/downlo ... &mode=view
This reminds me of worn Zygaena laeta the most or st. similar "Pyrenees-specific"

http://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/downlo ... &mode=view
You'd have to genitalize this to identify, I'm afraid

http://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/downlo ... &mode=view
Zygaena ephialtes f. ephialtoides

http://ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/downlo ... &mode=view
This animal seems to be idas/argyrognomon to me

[Padfield]

This animal seems to be idas/argyrognomon to me

P. argyrognomon doesn't fly in the Pyrenees, but I'm interested you considered it a possbility, Marek, because in its western range it never has broad borders like this. P. idas is very variable but I'm not aware of it having broad borders in the Pyrenees either. This individual looks very like the argus (silver-studded) I see when I visit this region. I wouldn't claim any authority, but with this group it helps to have local knowledge of the forms and my experience of the Spanish Pyrenees suggests very strongly this is argus.

Sometimes I'm spectacularly wrong!

Guy

[The Annoying Czech]

The truth is I worked with Central European know-how and counted with some visible differences betwen our argus vs. idas-argyrognomon (those two always have to be genitalized here, which is kind of unpleasant as idas is considered to be CR, whereas argyrogmon is locally common).

And as far as I know (and saw), both rear sides of the wings seems to be more idas-argyrognomon than argus to me, as the black rim is rather thin and the blue color is not dark enough. Also, our argus males, and I believe those photos are one and very same male individual, tend to be more brown and the spots are also slightly different, but it may be just a feeling.

Since I've actually never been to Pyrenees, I obviously may be wrong.

Also, argus is considerably smaller. At least that Central European.

Czech argus vs. idas

[andy brown]

Thank you Guy and Marek interesting debate and useful info, will keep the id as silver studded/unconfirmed for now, I can see where you are coming from as the photo's I have of silver studded in the UK do seem to have in many instances less rounded hind and forewings, it means I will just have to go bake next year and try harder . Marek thanks for the pointers on the Burnett's and again will just have to leave the forester and unknown. At least I managed the yellows as I was worried about the id's.

Cheers

Andy

[andy brown]

Here is the start of day 3 usual mix but mainly Butterflies, again a few I need ID for and confirmation so feel free to chip in.

Long-horn beetle - ID Neede

Wall Brown

Southern Gatekeeper (Pyronia cecilia)

shield bug - (Graphosoma lineatum)

Zygaena (Agrumenia) occitanica

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) I think

High Brown Fritillary (Argynnis adippe)

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus) I Think

Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)

Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)

Forster's Furry Blue - (Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) fulgens) Male

Woodland Grayling (Hipparchia fagi)

Provençal Short-tailed Blue (Everes alcetas)

White-legged Damselfly - (Platycnemis pennipes) I Think

Thanks

Andy

[Colin Knight]

Andy, Your longhorn looks like Stictoleptura cordigera (aka Leptura cordigera)

[andy brown]

Thanks for the ID Colin, will try to get a book at the AES show on beetles if cheap enough,

Here is another batch from day 3

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

Grayling - Great Banded I think

Pretty sure this is a Common Blue but just seems a lot of orange!

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) Leucomelas form

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)

Brown Argus (Aricia agestis)

Gatekeeper - (Pyronia tithonus)

Gatekeeper - (Pyronia tithonus)

Common Heath (Ematurga atomaria) I Think

ID Needed

Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe)

Provençal Short-tailed Blue (Everes alcetas) Female

Cheers

Andy

[andy brown]

Hi,

Here is the last batch of Day 3. Tomorrow I will post the pictures from the weekend which are mostly Larvae.

Bath White (Pontia daplidice)

Carpenter Bee

Swallowtail Larvae - (Papilio Machaon gorganus)

Great Banded Grayling (Brintesia circe) 1

False Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium esculi) I think

Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania)

Grizzled or red underwing skipper

Adonis or Chalkhill Blue

Zygaena (Agrumenia) occitanica 1

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) Female

Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia)

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) Leucomelas form

Marbled or Southern Marbled Skipper

Spanish Gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba)

Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis) Maybe

Enjoy

Andy

[David M]

Nice images, Andy, though your Skipper is not Red Underwing.

The Carpenter Bee is fascinating.

[andy brown]

Thank David,

Will put the Skipper down to Grizzled and do have a Red underwing in day 4 pics.

Cheers

Andy

[andy brown]

As I said in my earlier post here are the pictures from my weekend exploits and may be the last upload until next week. My usual eclectic mix I'm afraid.

First thing was to see the colour variation in these the Pebble Prominent Larvae

Pebble Prominent

Pebble Prominent

1305 - Agriphila tristella

Bronze Shieldbug - (Troilus luridus) Late Stage Nymph

Found lots of Larvae of these at various stages of growth and an extraordinarily large amount of these at various sites

Buff-tip eggs

Been lucky with these as well in finding them at various sites, I was disappointed to see lots of nettles cut back at Magdalene hill where I had seen egg laying recently. (Perhaps this needs to be taken into consideration by the powers that be before they carry out this exercise at this time of year)

Comma Larvae

Nice to see the common blue in good numbers wherever I have been and in various condition

Common Blue - (Polyommatus icarus)

Common Blue - (Polyommatus icarus)

Common Blue - (Polyommatus icarus)

Again been lucky in finding at least 10 of these over the last month

Eyed-hawk Moth Larvae

Grey Dagger

Pale Prominent

Lucky to have a colony of these 2 mins from work and easy to find at head height probably one of our more stunning regular larve

Pine-hawk Moth Larvae

Found this while trying to find Marsh Fritillary Larvae (No Joy)

Skullcap Sawfly - (Athalia scutellariae)

Been a great year for these beauties and seen them everywhere and in various stages lets hope it lasts.

Small Tortoiseshell - (Aglais urticae)

I think I will need to speak to some of you expert egg photographers out there but here is an attempt from the garden using extension tubes on my macro.

Small White

Small White

Speckled Bush-cricket

Swallow Prominent

The Vapourer

Anyway of to northern climes for the weekend (family) will take the camera and moth trap and hope for something special.

Cheers

Andy

[Pauline]

Great report A. and I see I have got one of my ID's incorrect! Well done identifying those eggs and I am looking forward to some spectacular results from your trip 'oop North' (why do folk even say that??!!!)