Aricia artaxerxes salmacis.

[nomad]

The Northern Brown Argus, Aricia artaxerxes Subspecies salmacis Stephens, 1828 occurs only in Northern England, while the nominate race with the pure white forewing spots is endemic to Scotland. Here are some further images of A. artaxerxes salmacis from Yewbarrow (June 2017), a wooded hill with grassland at its top, situated at Witherslack in Cumbria. The bottom image was taken at Latterbarrow NR, a lower site with open limestone grassland also near Witherslack. It will be noticed that the males have a black discoidal spot in the upper forewings, while the female has white around the upper forewing discoidal spot. Interestingly the female shown here also has white upper hindwing spots.


Habitat of Aricia artaxerxes salmacis. Yewbarrow, Witherslack, Cumbria. The higher limestone hill in the background is Whitbarrow Scar.


A. artaxerxes salmacis. Yewbarrow, Cumbria. 1-3. Male. 4. Female.



A. artaxerxes salmacis male, Latterbarrow, Cumbria.