valezina

Yesterday, the early morning weather was overcast, still and humid. I try not to waste days like this and I set out to a local Wealden wood to see what was lazing around on the bramble leaves and bracken fronds.

I was focusing on looking for freshly emerged Purple Hairstreaks in the undergrowth when a mating pair of Silver-washed Fritillaries (Argynnis paphia) flew across in front of me and landed nearby. It was immediately clear that the female of the pair was form valezina, where the usual orange ground colour is replaced by olive-green. This form does not occur in the male paphia and accounts for about 10% of the female population.

Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) (mating, female form valezina)

Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) (female)

Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) (male)