Pearly
Heath
2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 2215_sex?_Drome_1Jul06 | 7613_sex?_Alpes Maritimes_26Jun07 | 11411_female_Var_22Jun08 |
Arcania is an attractive butterfly, bright orange when fresh, and quite common and widely distributed in southern France although I don't often find it in good numbers. However, in the Alpine regions I was checking each “pearly” closely in case it was a Darwin's Heath (C. darwiniana). I have placed the more detailed consideration of arcania, darwiniana, and Alpine Heath (C. gardetta) on the latter page.
2215: a typical arcania, with a clear light band on the unf and, unusually, two ocelli. The unh ocelli are quite strong in s2/3, strong black with clear white centres, medium in s4 and small in s1 and s5, with a creamy post-discal band. The marginal silver band is strong and complete, more visible in the enlarged versions below. The s6 ocellus looks as if it could be considered as "contained within" the light post-discal band. Altitude 1180m.
7613: I have some doubts as to whether this is arcania or its much rarer cousin, darwiniana. The unh white post-discal band is quite narrow (c.f. 2215) and the two clear points at v3 and v4 are of equal shape and typical of darwiniana, not as dentate as in arcania; the ocellus in s6 is outside the band - this is said to be indicative of darwiniana - but this does not seem to hold true for many arcania that I have seen and the same could be said for 11411. The altitude (nearly 1900m) is more darwiniana's range than arcania (Lafranchis gives the upper altitude limit of 1600m for arcania, but these ranges should not be taken as definitive). However, many eminent experts consider that darwiniana is more likely to be confused with Alpine Heath (C. gardetta). Altitude 1875m.
11411: a female, based on the visible body shape. No ocellus in s1.
7613_sex?_Alpes Maritimes_26Jun07
