|
Post by timmsyrj on Jul 15, 2016 12:34:20 GMT
"A couple of beetles photo bombing" ? Is that what it's called nowadays? "Anyone know what they are" ? Horny!!
Very nice Peter, the P.trappi that is, I didn't know this little blue either.
Rich
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Jul 15, 2016 15:18:03 GMT
Ha Ha, the beetles were a welcome addition, they just arrived. P.trappi is not so little and is bigger than your average Plebejus, in fact I would say, just larger than P. icarus, about the size of Lysandra coridon.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Jul 16, 2016 17:29:26 GMT
Erebia : Mountain Satyrids. Erebia Christi Ratzer 1890. This very rare butterfly was not found. Gone is the day when notable collectors such as Bretherton and the Baron de Worms, or the Erebia expert, the Irish entomologist B.C.S. Warren and Dr Hesselbarth from Germany could walk a mile down the path in the Laggintal Valley and by some ancient railings on the precipitous slopes above and below could take E. christi in tolerable plenty. Even then it was not easy with so many species of Erebia on the wing. Each of the Erebia had to be caught and examined. As they tired on the rocks, the collectors found it easier to stand on the path and catch and examine each Erebia as they crossed it. In the early 1980s, someone decided it was a good idea to built a road through to some cottages and that single action destroyed the main breeding site of Erebia Christi in the Laggintal Valley. Ironically a few years later, collecting was forbidden in the Valley and it is now a protected area. Erebia christi still occurs in the Laggintal but where and the chances of finding it is very slim among all the other similar brown butterflies. I met a nice Italian couple who saw me photographing butterflies, and they asked me if I had seen E. christi, they had visited the Laggintal hoping to see it, I suggested they scan the rocky ground with their binoculars but it would be very difficult on such a hot day. I met them again later, they had drawn a blank in finding E. Christi but had some wonderful views of an eagle and being mainly birders this pleased them very much. During 1967, Bretherton and the Baron de Worms also found E. christi on some grassy slopes in the Rossbodental, the first records for that valley. During my visit to Rossbodental to have found Erebia Christi without a net on those steep grassy slopes would have been an impossible task especially with others of that genus flying non-stop in the hot sunshine. I did climb to the base of one lower set of cliffs that had plenty of bluish tufts of the foodplant the grass festuca ovina, but I decided not to risk my neck working the higher grasslands without a fair chance of success. However, in the end I did manage to photograph other species of Erebia during my visit to Switzerland and as most were new to me, I was not too disappointed. I have used my field guide to ID these difficult butterflies and let me know what you think. Some are certainly I free correctly identified but others are tentative at best. I feel to get to know this complex European genus in the field, you would probably need to live in the areas will they are found and see and study these interesting butterflies on a regular basis. Many of these Erebia are prone to local variation with many named forms and subspecies. I welcome any comments regarding their identification here. Erebia pandrose Borkhausen 1788. This Ringlet occurs at high altitude in the Swiss Alps, but is found much lower in the northern part of its range. I only saw it high above the Simplon Pass between 2200-2300 meters. It has a very characteristic slow bobbing flight but hardly ever stops and just as you approach it nearly always pops off again on its endless search across the grassy scree. Erebia pandrose above the Simplon Pass Biotope of Erebia pandrose.
Erebia triaria. de Prunner 1798. One of the earlier Mountains Ringlets to be found on the wing. A tentative ID but it looks like this species because the upper forewing ocelli are in line. As, far as I know, I only photographed one example at around 1600 meters above the Gondo Valley. This species likes to fly in clearings of light pinewoods on rocky slopes, so the habitat where I found it seemed just right. Erebia triaria above the Gondo Valley. Biotope of Erebia triaria above the Gondo Valley . Erebia euryale form adyte.
Most of the Ringlets I saw were very shy and hard to approach. However, I saw a number visiting damp ground in the Laggintal. While I was observing several blues visiting muddy ground along a mountain path in a clearing in the larch woods of the Rossbodental, an Erebia euryale f. adyte... male decided that I was a very good source of minerals. Erebia euryale form adyte Rossbodental Valley.
Erebia alberganus de Prunner 1798. This species has the characteristic almond eyes, hence its English name and was seen in several at locations among the larch and pine woods. On my visit to the Laggintal Valley the day grew very hot and a number of this Erebia along with E. ligea? were visiting damp patches with a number of different butterflies and day-flying Moths. Quite a sight for a high mountain country well away from the tropics. Erebia alberganus at Schallberg. Erebia alberganus visiting damp ground and resting in the Laggintal Valley. Erebia alberganus in the company of Erebia euryale form adyte? and the blues Cupido minimus with Cyaniris semiargus in the Laggintal Valley. Now here is I believe a strange Erebia alberganus from the Rossbodental, looking at both of the left wings of this example, is this a gynandromorph or is this in fact a wing deformity, what do you think?
|
|
|
Post by deliasfanatic on Jul 16, 2016 18:25:13 GMT
Lovely photos! The last one looks like a wing deformity.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Jul 17, 2016 18:47:35 GMT
Euphydryas glaciegenita Verity, 1928... Euphydryas aurinia debilis Oberthur 1909 Some authors treat this butterfly as a separate species Euphydryas glaciegenita, while others regard it as a subspecies of Euphydryas aurinia named debilis by Oberthur. At 2000 meters in one locality in the Valais, E. aurinia aurinia occurs less than 500 meters from the rarer darker Fritillary and this is a good indication the latter may be a good species. I saw a few Fritillary species in the Valais but was a bit too early for some rarer sorts. However, I did find the rather special Mountain Marsh Fritillary in a few marshy meadows on the Simplon Pass. This Fritillary is a rather uncommon and local butterfly and is often much darker than the nominate aurina. The flight of this butterfly is low and fast but they like to stop and feed at various flowers and they like to bask . The Mountain Marsh Fritillary. Simplon Pass 2000 meters. Biotope of the Mountain Marsh Fritillary. Simplon Pass.
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Jul 17, 2016 20:51:13 GMT
Kudrna (1983). An Annotated Catalogue of the Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) Named by Roger Verity. J. Res. Lepid. 21(1): 1-106, on pp. 71-72 discusses glaciegenita and states that it is the oldest available name for this taxon, as debilis Oberthuer, 1909 was named as a quadrinomial aberration and thus unavailable. Kudrna believes this taxon is probably a good species rather than a subspecies of E. aurinia.
Adam.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Jul 18, 2016 4:50:35 GMT
Thank you Adam for the additional information.
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Jul 18, 2016 8:00:45 GMT
I love Euphydryas, never seen this taxon ! Thanks for sharing Peter.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Jul 18, 2016 17:51:51 GMT
Swiss Blues. Plebejus (Vacciniina) optilete Knoch, 1781. Plebejus optilete the little Cranberry Blue is widespread and common species in Scandinavia. In the Alps it is a scarce butterfly. I only saw a few examples in wet heath on the Simplon Pass and in a boggy larch wood clearing in the Rossbodental where one was mud puddling with other blues and a few Erebia. In the Alps the larval foodplant is the Bog Bilberry, Vaccinium uliginosum. This species also occurs in North America. Plebejus optilete 1800 meters Rossbodental. This example is a hindwing underside aberration= large spot. Plebejus optilete male Simplon Pass 2000 meters. Biotope of Plebejus optilete on the Simplon Pass. Agrodiaetus escheri Hübner, 1823. This Blue is a rarity in Switzerland and only found in the Simplon area and in the Rhone Valley. I only managed to photograph one female. The foodplant here is the purple and local Astragalus Monspessulanus .
Female Agrodiaetus escheri in the Simplon area. The foodplant of the Swiss Agrodiaetus escheri, Astragalus Monspessulanus at Simplon. Agriades glandon de Prunner, 1798 In the Alps this is a high altitude and local blue which was only seen at 2150 meters in a flowery gully on the Simplon Pass. Agriades glandon male. Agriades glandon female. Biotope of Agriades glandon above the Simplon Pass. Plebejus argus aegidon Meisner 1818. This lovely subspecies is confined to the Central Alps where it is usually found on calcareous soils. The male is especially beautiful with its wide white wing margin, black border and deep violet colour. This species was only just starting to come emerge during my visit to Switzerland. At Rosswold it was flying on the flowery Alp with the blues Lysandra coridon and L. bellargus.
Plebejus argus aegidon males near Rosswold 1700 meters. Plebejus argus aegidon female on the Simplon Pass 2100 meters. Biotope of Plebejus argus aegidon Rosswold.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Jul 27, 2016 15:29:57 GMT
Coenonympha darwiniana Staudinger 1871. An European endemic that is confined to the southern Alps of France, South Switzerland and Northern Italy. It is a local species but can be frequent in the Simplon area. It has the typical loping flight of these smaller Satyrids. Coenonympha darwiniana Coenonympha gardetta de Prunner 1798. Another European species from the Satyridae family that is confined to the Alps. Only observed on the Simplon Pass at 2000 meters. It differs from darwiniana in that the ocelli are nearly confined within the white hindwing band and are not ringed with yellow. Coenonympha gardetta
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Jul 29, 2016 9:25:32 GMT
Pyrgus andromedae (Wallengren, 1853). I had a bit of trouble with this one and so it seems did others because these mountain Pyrgus species look similar and you have to view the underside but a top Swiss butterfly expert who has much experience in the field has told me this is the rare and local Alpine Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus andromedae. My find was at high altitude at 2300 meters in a sheltered grassy gully that was studded with the larger blue gentians. I only saw this one and its cryptic colouring made it very difficult to follow when in flight. No doubt there was others about but in the place a pipit flew out from the nearby cliff face, calling in distress with loud piping. She obviously had a nest in the rocks and not wishing to disturb her I climbed up further and sat and had some food at the edge of the snow. How peaceful it was up here with no sounds, I sat here for a long while till the sun started to disappear over the mountains and it was only with greatest reluctance that I descended to the World and its troubles below. Pyrgus andromedae high above the Rossbodental Valley. Gentians. Up in the Rossbodental.
|
|
|
Post by mygos on Jul 29, 2016 9:46:05 GMT
Lovely picture of this Pyrgus Peter A+, Michel
|
|
|
Post by cabintom on Jul 29, 2016 12:17:18 GMT
I'm really enjoying this series. Thanks for sharing!
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Jul 31, 2016 8:44:57 GMT
Mountain Dappled White, Euchloe simplonia (Freyer 1829) A very local and uncommon species found in North Spain, the Alps of France, SW Switzerland and NW Italy. Only seen high up above the Simplon Pass by a footpath on a steep rocky bank just before the tree line ends and the first snow patches were reached at 2200 meters. Other similar taxa occur in NE Asia and North America. The larvae feed on several species of mountain Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) .
A male of of Euchloe simplonia feeding at one of the larvae foodplants Biscutella laevigata. Biotope of Euchloe simplonia above the Simplon Pass. Gentiana verna growing with Bartsia alpina and the dwarf Willow Salix reticulata on the Rocky bank. Dryas octopetala. The species of plants growing at the Euchloe simplonia site atttest to the calcareous nature of these soils.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 1, 2016 10:09:10 GMT
Continuing this series and I would like to thank those that gave favourable comments in this thread. I no doubt had much luck due to being blessed with good weather, as it rained most of the week before. Usually the weather in the high Alps can be very uncertain. Many of the species shown here that were found at the higher altitudes were very local, certain areas in these localities seemed rich in butterflies, while other similar looking biotopes hardly had anything. What this thread does show, is that the Alps of Switzerland are a very rich in mountain butterflies and if possible I would like to visit again in another year, a bit later on. Pieris bryoniae (Hubner 1806). I see now that someone has decided that ' Pieris' is not good enough for the Green-veined and Small whites and we now have to call them Artogeia, well it's still going to be Pieris here. Why do some museum Lepidopterists always have to meddle with genus names? This butterfly is found at high altitudes among grassland with scrub often near mountain streams. The males of Pieris bryoniae are similar the first brood P. napi but the females are much more heavily suffused than in that species. Only seen above the Rossbodental Valley and the Simplon Pass where it was flying with Euchloe simplonia in the latter locality. Pieris bryoniae is found in the Alps and the eastern European mountains where it is single-brooded. The larvae feed on several species of mountain Brassicaceae.
Pieris bryoniae male above the Simplon Pass. Pieris bryoniae female above the Simplon Pass, ova depositing in the second image. Pieris bryoniae female above the Rossbodental at 2200 meters. Biotope of Pieris bryoniae above the Simplon Pass at 2200 meters.
|
|