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Thanks Russ, I'm hoping to get some better photos of the Nettle-tree Butterfly but that's a start. So in Spain they also have April showers in March, like in France ?

Thanks Colin and Roger,
This flower (Speedwell) is therefore Véronique in French, and I was duly reprimanded by my wife (Véronique) for not having known that

Roger,
Watch this space, I'll have some interesting photos and a worrying photo coming up soon.
Cheers, Chris

These last two weekends I have been inland and upland into the Var at 650 m Alt. to see how Spring is taking hold in the upland areas.
Whereas Spring is now being felt this week in the lowland areas of the South of France, inland at 650 m there are very few signs of nature waking up.
The only BFs flying were Cleopatra and Large Tortoiseshell.
However, this magical place in the photos below should produce a minimum of 75 species of butterfly throughout the season.

I was greeted by the bucolic view of Shepherdess, sheep, goats, sheepdog and 'patou'. The 'patou' is the large white dog. A 'patou' is a Pyreneean sheepdog which is raised with the flock of sheep, to form part of the flock (mingle in with the sheep), and to ward off any predators with its loud agressive barking. What it was doing in Provence, I don't know - I must ask the Shepherdess if I see her again.

The watering hole for the sheep and goats with the trampling of hooves all around it: But, alas, the netting for the mobile over-night sheep pen is placed slap bang around a butterfly hotspot - sacrilege !! This very precise patch of 'nothing' is home to Sage Skipper, Cinquefoil Skipper, Foulquier's Grizzled Skipper, Rosy Grizzled Skipper and Southern Marbled Skipper, to say the least.
Let's hope the butterflies will emerge when the time comes.
Cheers, Chris

Surpaturage (Eng = over-grazing) - the curse of the PACA region in particular.

Maybe this should be reported to Stephane at CEN-PACA, Chris?

Roger

Yes it is worrying, Roger. I don't suppose sheep look where they're putting their hooves or mind what they eat !

South of France - 21st March - 15°C, sunny and no wind.

Truly the start of Spring. My lunchtime patch at work came up with a new sighting today.
SPECIES No. 18 : Baton Blue

I saw two Baton Blues, both males, patrolling the thym (their LHP) which is now in flower. This species is 2 weeks earlier than last year: My Swallowtail has come out of hiding, and Scarce Swallowtail is expected very soon: Some context photos of the plateau of Vitrolles: The entrance is not very welcoming: The Rock Rose is starting to bloom and a white Crab Spider can be seen lurking behind this one: Also flying : rubi, pirithous, brassicae, cleopatra, megera, crameri, daplidice, crocea.
Cheers, Chris

South of France - 22nd of March - 15°C, sunny with light wind

First sightings this year for these two on my lunchtime patch in Vitrolles:
SPECIES No. 19 : Scarce Swallowtail
SPECIES No. 20 : Small Copper
Both these species are on time this year, compared with 2015.
Despite having freshly emerged, this podalirius has already lost both its tails: This phlaeas has also had a chunk taken out of its hindwing. Nectaring on flowering thym: Dwarf iris in the scrub: Also flying (all at the same time): atalanta, rubi, machaon, daplidice, crameri, rapae, brassicae, megera, crocea, baton, pirithous
Cheers, Chris

The Mistral wind is blowing today in the Bouches du Rhône so my lunchtime walk was more for the fresh air than anything else. However, I didn't come back empty-handed. An awkward fluttering movement turned out to be a pair of Bath Whites: Cheers, Chris

Hi Folks,
More species this week in the South of France.
Highest temperatures around 15°C. My first Skipper of the year is not too much of a surprise, and is more or less on time.

SPECIES No. 21 : Green-veined White ( no photo yet )
SPECIES No. 22 : Mallow Skipper
The Mallow Skipper flies from the end of March, well into October down here near Marseilles. A pair of Large Whites mating: And a better view of a Nettle-tree Butterfly. I just happened to go a further 50 metres outside my usual lunchtime patch and I fell upon a new spot for Nettlies. Yet another site to be monitored I've already had my fill of Swallowtails for this year. I must find a different angle ( cop ? - I havn't seen that yet ). Keep watching this space, I've got a beauty coming up !!
Cheers, Chris

Saturday 26th March

SPECIES No. 23 : Provence Hairstreak

This species is very scarce in the Bouches du Rhône.
I'm quite happy with the photo because it shows submarginal markings that not all the books show.
Female: Context: Picnic between association members after the hunt for ballus: This is possibly its LHP - any ideas what it is ? EDIT : I've been told since that this is PROBABLY NOT its host plant.
Cheers, Chris

Hello Chris,

WOW!!!
--
Colin

It’s so scarce in les Bouches du Rhône that it hasn’t been seen there for at least 30 years. Great that you have found it there, although it’s not so far from the known location of Bandol, just into the Var.

It seems to be an early season, so I hope ballus is still fresh when I get there on 11 April. I have chanced upon four new locations for ballus over the past decade and now it seems that a search in any area that looks likely is proving fruitful.

I have no idea what the plant is. It looks a little like Anthyllis tetraphylla but it is hard to say without seeing the flowers. The usual foodplant in my experience is Dorycnium hirsutum. It favours a variety of very low-lying plants but I have seen it egg-laying on plants some half-metre above the ground.

Next you will be finding Chapman’s Green Hairstreak (Callophrys avis) in Bouches du Rhône!

I have a location for Spring Ringlet (Erebia epistygne) in northern Var, Chris. I will be looking there about 15 April, and I’ll let you know if I find it.

Roger

Well, you weren't joking when you said in your earlier post you had a beauty to reveal!!

Superb find. What is the background to this search? Is this group a local lepidoptera association?

Hello Colin, Roger and David,
Thanks for your comments. Its always good to find something new on one's own doorstep.
I will keep an eye on the development of the LHP in view of a more precise identification.
Cheers, Chris.

Well done Chris with the Provence H/S, I bet you'll see another before the season finishes
Russ

Thanks Russ.
And not to be down-staged by your Black-eyed Blue, here is my first sighting of 2016.
Yesterday at 650 metres altitude, overcast and a cool 15°C - a male Black-eyed Blue.
SPECIES No. 24 : Black-eyed Blue (my 1st lifer of 2016): Context: No nectar plants in flower.
This was my first blue of the year at this altitude.
Cheers, Chris

EDIT : I had originally believed this was a Green-underside Blue.

Fantastic pictures of some lovely species. I haven't seen either a Provencal Hairstreak or a Green-underside Blue. Your pictures are great. I need to persuade the family that we should take our summer holiday earlier in the year, I think!!

Thank you, Nick.
Just for you then, a special viewing before I completely wear the topic out - see T. ballus below.

Today I saw a very early (or very late) Long-tailed Blue. This individual may have over-wintered somewhere given its condition (Thanks to Roger for the I.D. confirmation).
South of France : 18°C and sunny.
SPECIES No. 25 : Long-tailed Blue A final viewing of Tomares ballus (from the Easter weekend) to avoid over-kill . Comparison of male and female:
Male: Female: Today at lunchtime (back at work, after Easter) I saw my first female Baton Blue. The males have been around for 10+ days already. Here is one female ovipositing on thym - their LHP. Wish you were here, as they say.
Cheers, Chris

I've had quite a few Adnams tonight, but that alexis is at least anomalous. The arrangement of the spots is distinctly melanops, even if the upperside margin seems more alexis and there is little in the way of underside submarginal markings. Do you get both in your region?

Guy

You're having a cracking little spell right now, Chris. Long may it continue!

Padfield wrote: .... that alexis is at least anomalous. The arrangement of the spots is distinctly melanops, even if the upperside margin seems more alexis and there is little in the way of underside submarginal markings. Do you get both in your region?
Guy

Hello Guy,
I really am not sure. This is just the start of the flight period so I hope to come up very shortly with better images.
Cheers, Chris

David M wrote:You're having a cracking little spell right now, Chris. Long may it continue!

Hi David,
The different species seem to appear here at a machine-gun rate. I barely have time to process my photos. The worst thing is 'work' getting in the way of my hobby .
Cheers, Chris