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Pyrenees Erebia for ID
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 8:18 pm
by David M
This specimen was photographed on 14.07 at approx 2,250m in the Hautes Pyrenees:
Anyone with any ideas?
Re: Pyrenees Erebia for ID
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 7:22 pm
by petesmith
Hi David,
Good to meet up unexpectedly a couple of days back. I see there has been little response to your request for ID on your Erebia, so I shall throw my opinion out there. The forewing spot markings and alignment on your specimen look good to me for False Dewy Ringlet, even though yours is rather worn, which is what I imagine you want to hear!
Here are the very few shots that I managed to get of
sthennyo a few days earlier than you, and further east in the Hautes Pyrenees. They were a nightmare to get close to, even though they were about in good numbers! I shall be putting out a full report on our trip shortly. See what you think. Maybe Roger or Guy could also add their comments?
Re: Pyrenees Erebia for ID
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:05 pm
by David M
Thanks for your input, Pete. As you know, I posted this on the off chance that it may have been sthennyo, although the butterfly was photographed from distance and none of us got a look at the underside (which would have been definitive).
Epiphron was also around, but in general they seemed to be fairly fresh so this tatty individual kind of stood out (and in addition, epiphron tends to alight on grass or on yellow flowers whereas this one was on rock).
Hope you caught up with gorgone before you left. We saw a beautiful female on Col du Tourmalet the morning after you went home.
Re: Pyrenees Erebia for ID
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:22 pm
by Roger Gibbons
My intinctive feeling is that it is epiphron.
The red tends to "hug" the ocelli for sthennyo, at least in the male, most of the time.
I am sitting here in Belley (you can make the jokes) after several days at 36C in the field, so my brain may turning to mush.
Roger
Re: Pyrenees Erebia for ID
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 10:38 am
by David M
Thanks for your thoughts, Pete/Roger.
The explanation regarding the 'hugging of the ocelli' was extremely useful, Roger. I see what you mean and now I too am confident that the insect was not sthennyo. The season was at least a week ahead so it was no surprise we didn't see this species, although on the positive side we did see pronoe, which is not normally flying in mid-July.