Butterfly Forays in Europe

 January and February are usually cold dreary months and a look at the weather forecast for the foreseeable future shows no change on the horizon. At times like this, I look back through my photo-library to see what might form the subject of my next blog post.

During those long-gone child rearing days, we spent many family holidays in France, usually courtesy of Eurocamp and Canvas Holidays or camping in a friend's garden.

I would make time for myself during early mornings or early evenings to explore the local area with my camera, looking for butterflies and other insects.

Here is a selection of some of the photographs I have taken during the last three decades.

Swallowtail (Papilion machaon gorganus)

(20.8.2015 Haute-Savoie, France) 

Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)

(5.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina)

(3.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Black-veined White (Aporia crateagi)

(2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Bath White (Pieris daplidice)

(2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale) (male)

(5.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis)

(female ovipositing on horseshoe vetch 1.10.2009 Charente-Maritime, France)

(mating pair 9.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis)

(male & female, 8.7.2013 Gironde, France)

Blue-spot Hairstreak (Satyrium spini)

(9.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Large Copper (Lycaena dispar)

(female, 24.9.2009 Gironde, France)

Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae)

(male & female, 21.8.2015 Haute-Savoie, France)

Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus)

(male, female and underside, 23.8.2015 Haute-Savoie, France)

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron gordius)

(male, 29.5.2010 The Cevennes, France)

(female, 5.7.2013 Gironde, France)

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)

(female, 16.10.2006 Charente-Maritime, France)

Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshallii)

(ovipositing female, 5.10.2009 Charente-Maritime, France)

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Syntarucus pirithous)

(9.10.2011 Rome, Italy)

Osiris Blue (Cupido osiris)

(male, 2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis)

(male, 2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Large Blue (Maculinea arion)

(ovipositing female, 9.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)

(male, 4.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Amanda's Blue (Polyommatus amandus)

(male, 2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Meleager's Blue (Polyommatus daphnis)

(male, female upper & underside 5.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta)

(1.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

(15.7.2004 Charente-Maritime, France)

Map (Araschnia levana) 

(form prorsa, 15.7.2004 Charente-Maritime, France)

Cardinal (Argynnis pandora)

(2nd brood male, 12.10.2006 Charente-Maritime, France)

Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)

(22.8.2015 Haute-Savoie, France)

Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne)

(underside, 11.7.2013 Charente-Maritime, France)

(upperside, 4.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Violet Fritillary (Boloria dia)

                                                   (10.7.2013 Charente-Maritime, France)

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe)

(1.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)

(2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Great Banded Grayling (Kanetisa circe)

(9.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania)

(1.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria aegeria)

(male, 22.9.2009 Gironde, France)

Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides)

(5.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami)

(5.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)

(5.9.2019 Avignon, France)

Large Chequered Skipper (Heteropterus morpheus)

(5.7.2013 Gironde, France)