Again, not so much a blog of the tour more a gallery of the week spent in the Italian Alps based at Bagni di Vinadio. I deliberately didn't take any field notes so rather than by location they are presented chronologically - hence the repeats.
The group assembled at Nice airport and we were soon underway to our base. I was anticipating our first stop at Col de La Lombarde, a venue that I had visited several times in the past and I had a date with Cynthia. Unfortunately Cynthia stood me up but Dave, our leader, promised us a return visit. There was precious little else on the Col, though someone did find a Cynthia and try as I might there was no sign of Grison's Fritillary.
Another roadside stop finally got me started, a nice Cleopatra, Gonopteryx cleopatra followed by what I consider to be an unusual sighting - Oak Eggar Lasiocampa quercus in cop.
 |
| Cleopatra, Gonopteryx cleopatra |
 |
| Oak Eggar, Lasiocampa quercus |
 |
| Oak Eggar, Lasiocampa quercus |
A Knapweed Fritillary, Melitaea phoebe and an Essex Skipper, Thymelicus lineola were added to the list.
 |
| Knapweed Fritillary, Melitaea phoebe |
 |
| Essex Skipper, Thymelicus lineola |
Friday
The following morning a pre-breakfast foray turned up just a single Bath White, Pontia daplidice in the hay fields adjacent to the hotel and a few fresh Marbled Whites, Melanargia galathea.
 |
| Bath White, Pontia daplidice |
 |
| Marbled White, Melanargia galathea |
We started the day's butterfly hunting with a Titania's Fritillary, Boloria titania ......
 |
| Titania's Fritillary, Boloria titania |
 |
| Titania's Fritillary, Boloria titania |
.... followed by another unusual in cop pair of moths, this time the Nine Spotted Moth or Yellow-belted Burnet, Amata phegea.
 |
| Yellow-belted Burnet, Amata phegea |
 |
| Yellow-belted Burnet, Amata phegea |
The next venue was a quest for the Scarce Fritilllary, Hypodryas maturna and they were about in good numbers.
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
| Scarce Fritillary, Euphydryas maturna |
 |
White Admiral, Limenitis camilla
|
 |
| White Admiral, Limenitis camilla |
 |
| White Admiral, Limenitis camilla |
 |
| Scarce Copper, Lycaena virgaureae |
 |
| Scarce Copper, Lycaena virgaureae |
 |
| Scarce Copper, Lycaena virgaureae |
 |
| Black-veined White, Aporia crataegi |
 |
| Apollo, Parnassius apollo |
Saturday
 |
| Large Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus alveus |
 |
| Titania's Fritillary, Boloria titania |
 |
| Titania's Fritillary, Boloria titania |
 |
| Silver-studded Blue, |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Heath Fritillary, Melitaea athalia |
 |
| Black-veined White, Aporia crataegi |
Sunday
 |
| Weaver's Fritillary, Boloria dia |
 |
| Weaver's Fritillary, Boloria dia |
 |
| Weaver's Fritillary, Boloria dia |
 |
| Weaver's Fritillary, Boloria dia |
 |
| Turquoise Blue, Polyommatus dorylas |
 |
| Southern Swallowtail, Papilio alexanor |
 |
| Sloe Hairstreak, Satyrium acaciae |
 |
| Scarce Copper, Lycaena virgaureae |
 |
| Queen of Spain Fritillary, Issoria lathonia |
 |
| Pearly Heath, Coenonympha arcania |
 |
| Marbled Fritillary, Brenthis daphne |
 |
| Marbled Fritillary, Brenthis daphne |
 |
| Marbled Fritillary, Brenthis daphne |
 |
| Marbled Fritillary, Brenthis daphne |
 |
| Marbled Fritillary, Brenthis daphne |
 |
| Knapweed Fritillary, Melitaea phoebe |
 |
| Knapweed Fritillary, Melitaea phoebe |
 |
| Knapweed Fritillary, Melitaea phoebe |
Monday
 |
| Almond-eyed Ringlet, Erebia alberganus |
 |
| Almond-eyed Ringlet, Erebia alberganus |
 |
| Almond-eyed Ringlet, Erebia alberganus |
 |
| Apollo, Parnassius apollo |
 |
| Apollo, Parnassius apollo |
 |
| Apollo, Parnassius apollo |
 |
| Apollo, Parnassius apollo |
 |
| Apollo, Parnassius apollo |
 |
| Black-veined White, Aporia crataegi |
 |
| Black-veined White, Aporia crataegi |
 |
| Heath Fritillary, Melitaea athalia |
 |
| Large Wall Brown, Lasiommata maera |
 |
| Large Wall Brown, Lasiommata maera |
 |
| Large Wall Brown, Lasiommata maera |
 |
Aberrant Titania's Fritillary, Boloria titania
|
 |
| Aberrant Titania's Fritillary, Boloria titania |
Now I know it's tatty but this is Northern Wall Brown, Lasiommata petropolitana and a life tick for me.
 |
| Northern Wall Brown, Lasiommata petropolitana |
 |
| Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne |
 |
| Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne |
 |
| Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne |
 |
| Pearly Heath, Coenonympha arcania |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Purple-edged Copper, Lycaena hippothoe |
 |
| Olive Skipper, Pyrgus serratulae |
 |
| Olive Skipper, Pyrgus serratulae |
 |
| Carline Skipper, Pyrgus carlinae |
 |
| Carline Skipper, Pyrgus carlinae |
 |
| Carline Skipper, Pyrgus carlinae |
 |
| Silver-studded Blue, Plebejus argus |
 |
| Grison's Fritillary, Melitaea varia |
 |
| Grison's Fritillary, Melitaea varia |
At the end of the day I opted to scan the large stands of thistles adjacent to the river. Success! - the only Niobe Fritillary, Fabriciana niobe of the tour.
 |
| Niobe Fritillary, Fabriciana niobe |
 |
| Niobe Fritillary, Fabriciana niobe |
 |
| Niobe Fritillary, Fabriciana niobe |
 |
| Niobe Fritillary, Fabriciana niobe |
 |
| Heath Fritillary, Melitaea athalia |
 |
| Spotted Fritillary, Melitaea didyma |
 |
| Spotted Fritillary, Melitaea didyma |
 |
| Geranium Argus, Eumedonia eumedon |
After a long wait Cynthia finally turned up, just in time, as the rain and wind were setting in for the final twenty four hours of the tour.
 |
| Cynthia's Fritillary, Euphydryas cynthia |
