The Mountain Butterflies of Corsica.
Jul 19, 2015 17:33:44 GMT
daveuk, deliasfanatic, and 12 more like this
Post by nomad on Jul 19, 2015 17:33:44 GMT
A recent visit was made to the Central Mountains of the Haute Corse to find and photograph the special butterflies of that island. A few of the butterflies are endemic to Corsica while others also occur on the island of Sardinia lying to the south. The weather during our stay was very hot with the temperature reaching 36 centigrade during some days. We stayed among the Beech and Pine forest of Vizzavona where in the early to mid-20th Century many well known British lepidopterists came to collect butterflies . Margaret Fountaine, the Reverend Frank Lowe and Henry Rowland Brown and others visited.
The richest locality was the rocky slopes of the Col de Vizzavona and further afield at the Col de Sorba, which is situated between the mountain villages of Vivario and Ghisoni. Most of the Corsican specialities were found at these two localities but a few nice surprises turned up elsewhere.
The endemics.
Papilio hospiton.
We decided to visit the Col de Sorba after reading lepidofrance's excellent summary of their expedition to find this magnificent species. See here. www.lepido-france.fr/2013/06/au-col-de-sorba-corse-papilio-hospiton-guenee-1839/
Our visit was made nearly a month later and due to the hot weather we searched in vain for P. hospiton on the rocky slopes of the Col de Sorba. Those very steep rocky slopes are quite difficult of access being covered in bramble and other thorns. We saw much of one of the Corsican Swallowtail's foodplant Giant Fennel, Ferula communis. While we were walking back up the road we at last came upon a solitary Papilio hospiton feeding at thistles just below the pass. While photographing the Swallowtail, we were joined by the appearance of an aggressive snake. This surprised us, and I later found out this was a non poisonous Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus. As the snake was in great danger of becoming a road casualty I moved the reptile out of harms way with the aid of a stick. The Papilio hospiton was still busy floating between the thistle flowers and occasionally soaring high into the pinewoods before returning once more.
The steep slopes of the Col de Sorba with Ferula communis
Papilio hospiton at a roadside thistle Col de Sorba 1250 meters.
Green Whip Snake, Hierophis viridiflavus Col de Sorba.
Perhaps the highlight of our trip was on the very last day on a rocky ridge above the Col de Vizzavona. The ridge leads up to the upper mountain slopes above the ruins of a castle. The ridge was alive with butterflies. The Great Banded Grayling, Kanestia circe chased each other and Corsican Graylings, Hipparchis neomiris joined in their games. Migrant Painted Ladies jostled on the yellow flowers of the spiny Clustered Carline thistles, Carlina combosa with a few Queen of Spain Fritillary, Issoria lathonia. They were joined by huge black Carpenter Bees, Xylocopa violacea, named after their violet wings. A large female Cardinal, Argynnis pandora soared around the slopes below the ridge where on the bramble scores of Silver washed Fritillaries, Argynnis paphia fed on the bramble flowers with abundant Holly Blues, Celastrina argiolus. Clouded Yellows, Colias croceus zig-zagged across the rocks without stopping.
The ridge above the ruined castle on the Col de Vizzavona.
Issoria lathonia. Col de Vizzavona.
Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa violacea.
It was now very hot on that mountain ridge and we decided to seek the shelter of the beech woods in the gorge below and cool off in the cool waters of the pools of the Cascade des Anglais. Just as we were about to descend a Swallowtail came floating along the ridge to seek nectar at the Carlina corymbosa thistles. What an important summer nectar source this spiny common mountain thistle is, but the thistle needs the insects too , they being its main pollinator. We were excited to find the Swallowtail was a pristine Papilio hospiton and it was especially pleasing because none of the old collectors mention that the Col de Vizzavona as a locality for this species. In previous visits here we had seen no others. It was now time to descend to those pools in the gorge below where the cathedral like pines soared above.
Papilio hospiton on the ridge above the Col de Vizzavona at 1260 meters.
Next Plebejus argus corsicus.
The richest locality was the rocky slopes of the Col de Vizzavona and further afield at the Col de Sorba, which is situated between the mountain villages of Vivario and Ghisoni. Most of the Corsican specialities were found at these two localities but a few nice surprises turned up elsewhere.
The endemics.
Papilio hospiton.
We decided to visit the Col de Sorba after reading lepidofrance's excellent summary of their expedition to find this magnificent species. See here. www.lepido-france.fr/2013/06/au-col-de-sorba-corse-papilio-hospiton-guenee-1839/
Our visit was made nearly a month later and due to the hot weather we searched in vain for P. hospiton on the rocky slopes of the Col de Sorba. Those very steep rocky slopes are quite difficult of access being covered in bramble and other thorns. We saw much of one of the Corsican Swallowtail's foodplant Giant Fennel, Ferula communis. While we were walking back up the road we at last came upon a solitary Papilio hospiton feeding at thistles just below the pass. While photographing the Swallowtail, we were joined by the appearance of an aggressive snake. This surprised us, and I later found out this was a non poisonous Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus. As the snake was in great danger of becoming a road casualty I moved the reptile out of harms way with the aid of a stick. The Papilio hospiton was still busy floating between the thistle flowers and occasionally soaring high into the pinewoods before returning once more.
The steep slopes of the Col de Sorba with Ferula communis
Papilio hospiton at a roadside thistle Col de Sorba 1250 meters.
Green Whip Snake, Hierophis viridiflavus Col de Sorba.
Perhaps the highlight of our trip was on the very last day on a rocky ridge above the Col de Vizzavona. The ridge leads up to the upper mountain slopes above the ruins of a castle. The ridge was alive with butterflies. The Great Banded Grayling, Kanestia circe chased each other and Corsican Graylings, Hipparchis neomiris joined in their games. Migrant Painted Ladies jostled on the yellow flowers of the spiny Clustered Carline thistles, Carlina combosa with a few Queen of Spain Fritillary, Issoria lathonia. They were joined by huge black Carpenter Bees, Xylocopa violacea, named after their violet wings. A large female Cardinal, Argynnis pandora soared around the slopes below the ridge where on the bramble scores of Silver washed Fritillaries, Argynnis paphia fed on the bramble flowers with abundant Holly Blues, Celastrina argiolus. Clouded Yellows, Colias croceus zig-zagged across the rocks without stopping.
The ridge above the ruined castle on the Col de Vizzavona.
Issoria lathonia. Col de Vizzavona.
Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa violacea.
It was now very hot on that mountain ridge and we decided to seek the shelter of the beech woods in the gorge below and cool off in the cool waters of the pools of the Cascade des Anglais. Just as we were about to descend a Swallowtail came floating along the ridge to seek nectar at the Carlina corymbosa thistles. What an important summer nectar source this spiny common mountain thistle is, but the thistle needs the insects too , they being its main pollinator. We were excited to find the Swallowtail was a pristine Papilio hospiton and it was especially pleasing because none of the old collectors mention that the Col de Vizzavona as a locality for this species. In previous visits here we had seen no others. It was now time to descend to those pools in the gorge below where the cathedral like pines soared above.
Papilio hospiton on the ridge above the Col de Vizzavona at 1260 meters.
Next Plebejus argus corsicus.
Thankfully I did not damage my camera. 
I was unhurt except for a bruised and grazed elbow which I cleaned in a cool refreshing roadside well nearby. No rocks or earth fell into the road. 
