Hermit (chazara briseis)
2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 14108_male_Var_2Sep08 | 9538_male_Var_5Sep07 | 9333_female_Var_28Aug07 |
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| 14262_female_Var_9Sep08 | 9514_female_Var_5Sep07 |
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. It’s 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.
14108: a battered male. Altitude 920m.
9538: a rather worn male, but at least the characteristic pattern is clear. Altitude 920m.
9333: a very fresh, given the lateness of the season, female, with nice clean markings, which cannot be mistaken for any other species, at least in France. Altitude 920m.
14262: a typical female pose with a little of the forewing showing.
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.
