Red Underwing Skipper (Spialia sertorius)
2011 photos highlighted in green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 24391_male_Var_24Apr11 | 14925_male_Var_06May09 | 26581_female_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jul11 |
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| 11875_female_Alpes-Maritimes_1Jul08 | 10546_male_Var_15May08 | 24385_male_Var_24Apr11 |
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A delightful little skipper. It is somewhat smaller than most Pyrgus species (which look similar, even though sertorius is not of the Pyrgus family) and can be difficult to follow in flight, although it rarely travels far and helpfully often returns to the same spot. It is quite hard to approach for a close-up - and because it is so small, you need to be close - and is usually off before you can get near enough. |
It is quite common, one or two occurring in most localities, but rarely in large numbers. It often seems to have moth-shaped wings, with pronounced "shoulders" and an uph discal mark that is a clear white line, although these features do not appear in the T&L illustrations. It sometimes seems to have a purple-brown tinge, especially when fresh. The underside shows why it has its name. |
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ref |
sex |
observations |
alt. m |
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24391 |
M |
a male in typical territory-defending pose. The underside is 24385. |
220 |
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14925 |
M |
a male, as indicated by the length of the abdomen and the abdominal hair tuft, with a rather warmer brown colour than normal. |
220 |
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26581 |
F |
a female, I think, for much the same reasons as 11875. |
1400 |
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11875 |
F |
I originally thought this was a male, based on its puddling-type behaviour, but the body shape does look rather female and I think it must be a female taking moisture from the ground. There is very little difference in the upperside markings of both sexes. |
1400 |
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10546 |
M |
a less-frequently seen view of the underside, showing the unmistakeable pattern and the beautiful rich red-brown colouring that gives it its name. |
140 |
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24385 |
M |
another underside, a completely different colour to 10546 being much redder, almost plum-coloured. I suspect 24385 is the exception here, although the underside is so rarely seen unless roosting. The upperside is 24391. |
220 |
26581_female_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jul11
11875_female_Alpes-Maritimes_1Jul08
