A gallery of the Butterflies and Botany of the Pyrenees tour, May 2019

Back in May I did a repeat of the Greenwings Butterflies and Botany of the Pyrenees. I really wanted the chance to catch up with some of the butterflies that I had missed the previous year. As an added bonus I was invited to join up with expert guide David Moore for the four days recce before the main group arrived.  For the first three days we were joined by Wayne Fennell, a top lepidopterist and great company to boot. So I was well set for 10 days of serious but relaxed butterfly photography.  Of course the botany couldn't be ignored, especially as the leader was Yiannis Christofides, who I have had the pleasure of being with on several tours, most enjoyable was the tour on his home territory of Cyprus.

If you would like more details of the actual itinerary and previous trip reports then check it out here at Greenwings

Rather than do a blog as a tour report I have sorted out my photographs as a gallery, neither in chronological or geographic order, mainly because I failed to make any notes this time.

Butterflies

Adonis Blues, Polyommatus bellargus

Chapman's Blue, Polyommatus thersites

Chapman's Blue, Polyommatus thersites

Green Underside Blue,  Glaucopsyche alexis

Green Underside Blue,  Glaucopsyche alexis

Provencal Fritillary, Mellicta deione

Marsh Fritillary, Eurodrya aurinia beckeri

Marsh Fritillary, Eurodrya aurinia beckeri

Marsh Fritillary, Eurodrya aurinia beckeri

Osiris Blue, Cupido osiris

Provencal Fritillary, Mellicta deione

Provencal Fritillary, Mellicta deione

Provencal Fritillary, Mellicta deione

Queen of Spain Fritillary, Issoria lathonia

Spanish Festoon, Zerynthia rumina

Spotted Fritillary,  Melitaea didyma

Southern White Admiral, Limenitis reducta

Sadly many of the larger butterflies were "tired", the poor weather of the previous week had taken its toll.

Turquoise Blue, Plebicula dorylas

Western Marbled White, Melanargia occitanica

Apollo, Parnassius apollo

Apollo, Parnassius apollo

Apollo, Parnassius apollo

Chequered Blue, Scolatandes orion

Chequered Blue, Scolatandes orion

Chequered Blue, Scolatandes orion

Chequered Blue, Scolatandes orion

Chequered Blue, Scolatandes orion

de Prunner's Ringlet, Erebia triaria

de Prunner's Ringlet, Erebia triaria

Glanville Fritillary, Melitaea cinxia

Provence Orange Tip, Anthocharis euphenoides

Provence Orange Tip, Anthocharis euphenoides

Provence Orange Tip, Anthocharis euphenoides

Sooty Copper, Lycaena tityrus

Apollo, Parnassius apollo

Camberwell Beauty, Nymphalis antiopa

Provencal Short-tailed Blue, Everes alcitas

Provencal Short-tailed Blue, Everes alcitas

Provencal Short-tailed Blue, Everes alcitas

Violet Copper (f), Lycaena helle

Violet Copper (f), Lycaena helle

Violet Copper (f), Lycaena helle

Violet Copper (f), Lycaena helle

Violet Copper (m), Lycaena helle

Adonis Blue, Polyommatus bellargus

Clouded Apollo, Parnassius mnemosyne

Clouded Apollo, Parnassius mnemosyne

Clouded Apollo, Parnassius mnemosyne

Clouded Apollo, Parnassius mnemosyne

Clouded Apollo, Parnassius mnemosyne

Glanville Fritillary, Melitaea cinxia

Glanville Fritillary, Melitaea cinxia

Glanville Fritillary, Melitaea cinxia

Knapweed Fritillary, Melitaea phoebe

Orange Tip, Anthocharis cardamines

Red Underwing Skipper, Spialia sertorius

Red Underwing Skipper, Spialia sertorius

Green Underside Blue,  Glaucopsyche alexis

Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina

Western Marbled White, Melanargia occitanica

Cardinal, Argynnis pandora

Cardinal, Argynnis pandora

Clouded Yellow, Colias crocea

Marsh Fritillary, Eurodrya aurinia beckeri

Marsh Fritillary, Eurodrya aurinia beckeri

Provencal Fritillary, Mellicta deione

Provencal Fritillary, Mellicta deione

Spanish Festoon, Zerynthia rumina

Spanish Festoon, Zerynthia rumina

Spotted Fritillary,  Melitaea didyma

Spotted Fritillary,  Melitaea didyma

Spotted Fritillary,  Melitaea didyma

Spotted Fritillary,  Melitaea didyma

Provencal Short-tailed Blue, Everes alcitas

Provencal Short-tailed Blue, Everes alcitas

Provencal Short-tailed Blue, Everes alcitas

Sooty Copper, Lycaena tityrus

Violet Copper (m), Lycaena helle

Violet Copper (m), Lycaena helle

Violet Copper (m), Lycaena helle

Camberwell Beauty, Nymphalis antiopa

Knapweed Fritillary, Melitaea phoebe

Knapweed Fritillary, Melitaea phoebe

Marsh Fritillary, Eurodrya aurinia beckeri

Marsh Fritillary, Eurodrya aurinia beckeri

Marsh Fritillary, Eurodrya aurinia beckeri

Provence Orange Tip, Anthocharis euphenoides

Provence Orange Tip, Anthocharis euphenoides

Provence Orange Tip, Anthocharis euphenoides

Provence Orange Tip, Anthocharis euphenoides

Spotted Fritillary,  Melitaea didyma

Spanish Festoon, Zerynthia rumina

Southern Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvoides

Southern Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvoides

Amanda's Blue, Agrodiaetus amanda

Amanda's Blue, Agrodiaetus amanda

Amanda's Blue, Agrodiaetus amanda

Chequered Skipper, Caterocephalus palaemon

Chequered Skipper, Caterocephalus palaemon

Map, Araschnia levana

Map, Araschnia levana

Orange Tip, Anthocharis cardamines

Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe

Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe

Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe

Provencal Fritillary, Mellicta deione

Provencal Fritillary, Mellicta deione

And the final butterfly.......just.

Bright-eyed Ringlet, Erebia oeme

Botany

Spring Gentian, Gentiana verna

Man Orchid, Orchis anthropophora

Burnt Orchid, Orchis ustulata

Elderflower Orchid, Dactylorhiza sambucina

Elderflower Orchid, Dactylorhiza sambucina

Elderflower Orchid, Dactylorhiza sambucina

Oxlip, Primula elatior

Purple Toothwort, Lathraea clandestina

Purple Toothwort, Lathraea clandestina

On the last afternoon of the trip I swapped to the dark side and joined the botanist bus. During the morning they had seen some Military Orchids on the roadside and I particularly wanted to record them as they were on the hit list on my return home.

Military Orchid, Orchis militaris

Military Orchid, Orchis militaris

Fairy Foxglove, Erinus alpinus

Trumpet Gentian, Gentiana acaulis

Trumpet Gentian, Gentiana acaulis

Woodcock Orchid, Ophrys scolopax

Woodcock Orchid, Ophrys scolopax

Woodcock Orchid, Ophrys scolopax

Woodcock Orchid, Ophrys scolopax

Woodcock Orchid, Ophrys scolopax

Elderflower Orchid, Dactylorhiza sambucina

Elderflower Orchid, Dactylorhiza sambucina

Elderflower Orchid, Dactylorhiza sambucina

Elderflower Orchid, Dactylorhiza sambucina

Ophrys argensonensis

Sword-leaved Helleborine, Cephalanthera longifolia

Other Stuff

Conehead Praying Mantis, Empusa pennata

Owl Fly,

Longhorn Beetle, 

Green and Gold Scarab, Cetonia aurata

Green and Gold Scarab, Cetonia aurata

Seed Bug, Lygaeus simulans

Atlantarctia tigrina

Small Elephant Hawk Moth, Deilephila porcellus

Small Elephant Hawk Moth, Deilephila porcellus

Burnet Companion, Euclidia glyphica

Fire Salamander, Salamandra salamandra

Not quite what it seems, the salamander was in grave danger of being run over on the road. However, no one was quite willing to pick it up and remove it to safety. Fortuitously it crawled onto David's shoe just as a large 4x4 came into sight. The French occupants were intrigued and stopped to see what interested our group. Ah une salamandre! -  passez une bonne journée.

Fire Salamander, Salamandra salamandra

Fire Salamander, Salamandra salamandra

The view from the hotel balcony was none too shabby either, Mount Canigou still covered in snow in May.