Butterflies of the Valais, Switzerland.
Jul 12, 2016 16:03:24 GMT
deliasfanatic, Adam Cotton, and 6 more like this
Post by nomad on Jul 12, 2016 16:03:24 GMT
Butterflies of the Valais, Switzerland.
Recently I spent a week in the Alps of the Valais in south west Switzerland and stayed at the small village of Simplon Dorf. Arriving early in July and with a cold Spring in this region, some of the rarer high Alpine butterflies were not yet on the wing. However, due to glorious hot weather during my visit a marvellous array of butterflies were seen including several scarce ones. In the mountains here the butterflies become very active during very warm summer days and thus some species proved especially difficult to photograph. At the higher altitudes the butterflies were not usually on the wing until mid-morning. I also observed some special Alpine day-flying moths. Some of my images here maybe pleasing to the eye, while others may not be, but the latter will be still shown in this article because they may be of interest to those that study these species. All in all a wonderful time was had among the butterflies of the Swiss Alps and it was good to know I was following in the footsteps of some famous British Entomologists such as R.F. Bretheron and the Baron Charles de Worms. Those two distinguished Entomologists were friends who came to the Simplon area of the Valais to collect Lepidoptera during the 1950s and 1960s. Today in some of the localities where Bretheron and de Worms spent happy days chasing butterflies, collecting is now strictly forbidden.
Maculinea arion form obscura Christ 1878.
The high alpine form of Maculinea arion named obscura seems to be widespread but local in the high Simplon valleys of the Valais. M. arion f. obscura flies in other mountain areas of Switzerland, France and Northern Italy. Similar dark forms of M. arion occur in the mountains of Greece and the Balkans. M. arion f. obscura flies on steep slopes often among scrub where in the thinner areas of rocky grassland there is plenty of thyme and the host ant. It was also observed in the Rossbodental and Laggintal valleys flying in woodland clearings on precipitous ground. Although the adults of M. arion elsewhere seem to be confined to well defined colonies, given the range of habitat here single individuals of both sexes of obscura were observed flying at speed up and down the main higher valleys. M. arion f. obscura was observed from an altitude of 1500 meters in the Laggintal Valley to 2100 meters above the Simplon Pass.
One extreme dark male of form obscura was observed at 1700 meters feeding at Thyme on a rocky slope high above the River Doberia in the Gondo Valley. The initial foodplant Thyme is the main nectar source of obscura.
The Laggintal Valley. Biotope of M. arion form obscura 1500 meters.
M. arion f. obscura photographed in grassy Woodland clearings on mountain slopes in the Laggintal Valley at 1500-1600 meters.
Female of M. arion f. obscura feeding at Thyme, rocky slope in the Laggintal Valley at 1750 meters.
Biotope of M. arion f. obscura on the Alp above the Gondo Gorge at 1750 meters.
M. arion f. obscura on the Alp above the Gondo Gorge at 1750 meters.
A very dark male of M. arion f. obscura on the Alp above the Gondo Gorge at 1750 meters.
Thymus polytrichus in the Swiss Alps. Foodplant for the young larvae of M. arion and the nectar source of the adults.
Biotope of M. arion f. obscura in the Rossbodental Valley near Eggen, Simplon at 1700 meters.
A female underside aberration of M. arion f. obscura in the Rossbodental Valley at 1700 meters. A reduction of spots especially on the forewing. Not an especially sharp image because I was trying not to slip back down the rocky slope.
M. arion f. obscura on the Alp near Rosswald above the town of Brig, 1650 meters.
Recently I spent a week in the Alps of the Valais in south west Switzerland and stayed at the small village of Simplon Dorf. Arriving early in July and with a cold Spring in this region, some of the rarer high Alpine butterflies were not yet on the wing. However, due to glorious hot weather during my visit a marvellous array of butterflies were seen including several scarce ones. In the mountains here the butterflies become very active during very warm summer days and thus some species proved especially difficult to photograph. At the higher altitudes the butterflies were not usually on the wing until mid-morning. I also observed some special Alpine day-flying moths. Some of my images here maybe pleasing to the eye, while others may not be, but the latter will be still shown in this article because they may be of interest to those that study these species. All in all a wonderful time was had among the butterflies of the Swiss Alps and it was good to know I was following in the footsteps of some famous British Entomologists such as R.F. Bretheron and the Baron Charles de Worms. Those two distinguished Entomologists were friends who came to the Simplon area of the Valais to collect Lepidoptera during the 1950s and 1960s. Today in some of the localities where Bretheron and de Worms spent happy days chasing butterflies, collecting is now strictly forbidden.
Maculinea arion form obscura Christ 1878.
The high alpine form of Maculinea arion named obscura seems to be widespread but local in the high Simplon valleys of the Valais. M. arion f. obscura flies in other mountain areas of Switzerland, France and Northern Italy. Similar dark forms of M. arion occur in the mountains of Greece and the Balkans. M. arion f. obscura flies on steep slopes often among scrub where in the thinner areas of rocky grassland there is plenty of thyme and the host ant. It was also observed in the Rossbodental and Laggintal valleys flying in woodland clearings on precipitous ground. Although the adults of M. arion elsewhere seem to be confined to well defined colonies, given the range of habitat here single individuals of both sexes of obscura were observed flying at speed up and down the main higher valleys. M. arion f. obscura was observed from an altitude of 1500 meters in the Laggintal Valley to 2100 meters above the Simplon Pass.
One extreme dark male of form obscura was observed at 1700 meters feeding at Thyme on a rocky slope high above the River Doberia in the Gondo Valley. The initial foodplant Thyme is the main nectar source of obscura.
The Laggintal Valley. Biotope of M. arion form obscura 1500 meters.
M. arion f. obscura photographed in grassy Woodland clearings on mountain slopes in the Laggintal Valley at 1500-1600 meters.
Female of M. arion f. obscura feeding at Thyme, rocky slope in the Laggintal Valley at 1750 meters.
Biotope of M. arion f. obscura on the Alp above the Gondo Gorge at 1750 meters.
M. arion f. obscura on the Alp above the Gondo Gorge at 1750 meters.
A very dark male of M. arion f. obscura on the Alp above the Gondo Gorge at 1750 meters.
Thymus polytrichus in the Swiss Alps. Foodplant for the young larvae of M. arion and the nectar source of the adults.
Biotope of M. arion f. obscura in the Rossbodental Valley near Eggen, Simplon at 1700 meters.
A female underside aberration of M. arion f. obscura in the Rossbodental Valley at 1700 meters. A reduction of spots especially on the forewing. Not an especially sharp image because I was trying not to slip back down the rocky slope.
M. arion f. obscura on the Alp near Rosswald above the town of Brig, 1650 meters.