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Post by Paul K on Aug 1, 2016 10:49:58 GMT
Thank you Peter for sharing your advature with us. The mountains and its butterfly fauna is amazing. I spent two weeks in Canadian Rocky Mountains this year and they are very similar to Alps, but the weather was so bad that only few butterflies flew here and there between clouds and rains.
Paul
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Post by bobw on Aug 2, 2016 7:19:29 GMT
I expect Bob can tell us which are the males or females in these images. The palaeno are males. It's not so easy to sex phicomone from the underside alone but I suspect that they are both males. Bob
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Post by nomad on Aug 21, 2016 7:37:03 GMT
These Lycaena are among my favourite Lycaenidae. Lycaena tityrus subalpinus, Speyer 1851. In the Alpine subspecies the uppers are dark in both sexes. This highly territorial butterfly was fairly frequent in the valleys around Simplon where they liked to inhabit grassy and flowery clearings among the pine woods. At certain angles a lovely blue sheen spread across the males wings and the examples I saw were very fresh. This species loves combat with other butterflies that stray in their territory zooming off to intercept them at high speed returning once more to their favourite perch. Lycaena tityrus subalpinus males Simplon valleys. 1500-1700 meters. Lycaena tityrus subalpinus female above the Gondo Gorge at 1600 meters. Lycaena hippothoe eurydame Hoffmannsegg 1806. In this subspecies the males lack the purple flush and the female is a uniform brown. Only observed in a damp meadow by a fast flowing stream near Simplon dorf and on the Simplon Pass.
Lycaena hippothoe eurydame males Simplon 1500-2000 meters.
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Post by mygos on Aug 21, 2016 7:55:52 GMT
These Lycaenidae are pure gems, thank you Peter A+, Michel
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Post by nomad on Sept 1, 2016 6:46:17 GMT
There is something special about being out in the woods and fields in the early morning, the air is fresher and the light better. The Lagginthal was in shade and the air was heavy with the scent of Honeysuckle flowers winding there way up the larch trees. As the sun rose it lit up parts of the woodland edge and a Large Wall Brown, Lasiommata maera flew in the dappled shade and then basked in the warmth.
Lasiommata maera
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Post by nomad on Sept 1, 2016 7:07:56 GMT
Erebia.
I am afraid these ringlet images were not among my best due to the fact that these butterflies were either flying not stop at speed in the sunlight or they were usually in the grass in cloudy conditions. They do show with the others shown in this thread how rich the Swiss Alps are in Erebia species and may be of interest to the member Jonathan and perhaps others here. Swiss Brassy Ringlet, Erebia tyndarus Esper, 1781.
For a Satyrid this species exhibits a strange phenomenon, when the light hits the wing scales at a certain angle the results in a range of blue-green colours, hence the ' brassy' bit in its English name. Confined to the Central European Alps, this species was only observed above the Simplon Pass. Erebia tyndarus. Mountain Ringlet, Erebia epiphron aetheria Esper 1805.
Observed flying at surprising speed over grassy slopes above the Simplon Pass. As soon as a cloud covered the sky, down they went into the grass. Erebia epiphron aetheria Blind Ringlet, Erebia pharte Hubner 1804This species is aptly named on account of its missing ocelli. Only seen above the Simplon Pass. This Erebia is found in the Central Alps and Eastern European mountains. Erebia pharte
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Post by nomad on Sept 1, 2016 7:22:00 GMT
Alpine Grayling, Oeneis glacialis Moll, 1783. This Satyrid with its intricate underside was only observed in the Lagginthal. This species is confined to the Alps of France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Bavaria in Germany. The larvae feed on Festuca ovina. Oeneis glacialis.
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Post by nomad on Sept 11, 2016 12:30:45 GMT
Spiala setorius Hoffmannsegg 1804. Here is the little Skipper Spiala setorius Hoffmannsegg that was found in one location above the Gondo Gorge in a grassy flowery place at 1600 meters. Last year I found ssp theapne Rambur 1832 in Corsica. My Tolman guide book tells me that the nominate race shown here is widespread and common in Central Europe and Southern Europe.
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Post by nomad on Sept 11, 2016 12:35:59 GMT
Melitaea athalia Rottemburg 1775. This Fritillary which is an endangered protected species in Britain, was common in the Alpine woods of Switzerland as it is in many European counties. It was seen visiting damp tracks in the Lagginthal with other Erebia and Lycaenidae. Melitaea athalia Melitaea athalia visiting damp ground with Erebia and a fine assortment of Lycaenidae in the Lagginthal.
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Post by nomad on Sept 11, 2016 13:38:43 GMT
Melitaea diamina Lang 1789. This Fritillary was fairly frequent along woodland tracks and in clearings in the Simplon Region.
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Post by nomad on Nov 22, 2016 11:49:56 GMT
Geranium Argus Eumedonia eumedon feeding at the larva foodplant.
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Post by nomad on Nov 22, 2016 11:55:08 GMT
Mountain argus Aricia artaxerxes
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Post by nomad on Nov 22, 2016 12:07:45 GMT
Mazarine Blue Cyaniris semiargus
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Post by nomad on Nov 24, 2016 19:42:32 GMT
The latter I believe Michel is lucky enough to have in his water meadows. Long extinct in the UK.
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Post by nomad on Nov 9, 2017 13:28:08 GMT
I am used to seeing the Small Blue, Cupido minimus here in chalk and limestone grassland, so it came as quite a surprise to find a colony at 2300 meters above the Simplon Pass. I found a better image of the lovely Clouded Apollo Parnassius mnemosyne that I took in the Swiss Mountains.
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