Hermit (Chazara briseis)
2009 photos highlighted in yellow. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 17588_male_Hautes Alpes_09Jul09 | 14110_male_Var_2Sep08 | 9514_female_Var_5Sep07 |
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| 14262_female_Var_9Sep08 | 19352_female_Var_01Sep09 | 19403_female_Var_05Sep09 |
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| 19420_female_Var_05Sep09 |
A rather strange satyrid. In flight it appears almost white as it floats effortlessly across flower meadows, more in the style of a fritillary than a satyrid. If 2003 was a bad year for blues, it was a great year for satyrids, especially graylings. I had only seen one briseis prior to this, about five years ago in the Dordogne and then only one specimen. On a very hot day in the hamlet of Rimplas in the Alpes Maritimes, we visited the local bar for a cold drink and a solitary briseis was sitting on the stone floor outside, apparently taking the salts from the damp stone. As it was pre-occupied it was possible to get a shot or two, although even I draw the line at getting prostrate to photograph a butterfly in a town square. Its range is shrinking dramatically in France especially in central France at the northern end of its range, but no-one seems to know why.
In 2006 I chanced upon a robust colony at an altitude of about 1000m in northern Var in September when it was clearly at the end of the flight season as evidenced by the wear and tear on the preponderantly females that remained. However, this species is quite a rarity so was still a delight. The female unh is quite dull and its normal posture is for the forewing to be tucked down, giving it good camouflage when deep in the grass. When it is irritated or alarmed, the forewing flicks up momentarily, presumably to scare off a possible predator. I revisited the site in September 2007 and the number of individuals seemed to have increased, including several rather battered males, and it had extended it's limited range, so it was good to see that the colony was thriving. In 2008 I found males about 1km from the main colony, so it may well be a robust and extensive colony, and this pattern was repeated in 2009. In 2009 I travelled through the Cevennes in south central France and saw briseis in several locations, which is encouraging for a butterfly whose range is shrinking rapidly.
In 2009 in my Var location, the orange form (pirata) of the female was seen (19403/19420). I do not claim the credit for this, as I was even unaware that this form existed. Tim Cowles' sharp eyesight spotted it - in flight - and correctly identified it immediately. The briseis upperside is rarely revealed, but the nominate form is quite white, especially the female, hence my initial comment here, and quite apparent in flight. The areas that are normally white on the upperside are replaced by orange in pirata, and this is apparent, albeit less so, on the unf area around the ocelli - compare 19403 pirata with the nominate form 19352. This is mentioned in T&L and by the Lafranchis France book but in the authoritative H&R it says it is rare in southern Europe. In fact, Lafranchis says pirata can be more common than the nominate form in the Mediterranean region. I have looked back at my past records and have not found any other examples of pirata which rather confirms its rarity given that I see 10-12 individuals at this site each year.
17588: a fresh male, unusually early (and 2009 was not an "early" year) for briseis, especially given the higher altitude (Lafranchis gives the altitude range as 0-1600m). Altitude 1000m.
14110: a battered male. Altitude 920m.
9514: a quick shot to catch the extended forewing, showing a strange contrast between the dull and unmarked unh and the intricately patterned unf. Altitude 920m.
14262: a typical female pose with a little of the forewing showing. Altitude 920m.
19352: a typical female, but caught with rather more of the forewing showing. Altitude 920m.
19403: a female of the darker, orange, form pirata, with the area around the ocelli noticeably orange (compare to 19352). Altitude 920m.
19420: the same female pirata as 19403, with a rare glimpse of the upperside showing the normally-white areas as orange. This shot was taken with the fives frames per second feature on my camera, as the wings briefly flicked open. Altitude 920m.
17588_male_Hautes Alpes_09Jul09
