Woodland Grayling (hipparchia fagi) and Rock Grayling (hipparchia alcyone)
2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 8958_sex?_Hautes Pyrenees_8Aug07 - alcyone | 3248_sex?_Alpes Maritimes_27Jul06 - alcyone | 3244_sex?_Alpes Maritimes_27Jul06 - fagi |
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| 4116_sex?_Var_31Aug06 - fagi | 8506_sex?_Alpes de Haute Provence_24Jul07 - fagi | 9669_sex?_Var_12Sep07 - fagi |
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| 14393_sex?_Var_29Sep08 - fagi | 14413_sex?_Var_29Sep08 - fagi | 03_84-03_female_Alpes Maritimes_Jun03 - fagi |
These two species are encountered reasonably frequently, more so fagi, but they are hard to distinguish from each other. Alcyone is generally smaller although this doesn’t help much unless you have two to compare or can measure an outstretched specimen, but having seen a good number of each, it is not so hard to tell them apart just by observation.
Most of the more definitive features seem to relate to the upperside, which is of limited value for two species that habitually rest with closed wings. The underside differentiating features seem to be a little hazy, the chief of which seems to centre around the discal line, in which fagi has a "little bite" out of the centre. It also appears to me that the unf ocellus has a clearer area of yellow around it in alcyone, whereas in fagi the darker area touches the top of the ocellus; most seem to fit with this but not so for 3244 which I would be fairly sure is fagi. Also, if enough of the unf is visible (as in 3244), the darker line is slightly angled at vein 4 in fagi, and this is more exaggerated and pointed in alcyone. The undersides of both sexes are very similar, so it has not been possible even to suggest sexes. These identifications are really no more than best guesses. Life would be much easier if Rock Graylings always sat on rocks and Woodland Graylings stuck to trees.
These are a selection of undersides showing the variation in the shape of the discal line and hence the difficulty in making an educated ID guess:
8958: alcyone: I recall that 8958 was noticeably smaller than most and therefore very likely to be alcyone on this basis, together with the absence of the "little bite". Altitude 1600m.
3248: alcyone: this specimen is quite worn, with no bite out of the discal line, and the unh basal black line is weaker and a more characteristic alcyone shape, and the unf ocellus is clear-ish of the darker area above it. Altitude 1000m.
3244: fagi: a clear bite out of the discal line, with a deep angled indent at v6, otherwise a reasonably straight discal line, with a clear white largely unmarked band, and the unf line only slightly angled at v4. Altitude 1000m.
4116: fagi: a very slight "bite" in the discal line, with a deep indent at v6, the white post-discal band with large dark irrorations at the external edges, and the unf ocellus touching the darker areas. Altitude 780m.
8506: fagi: the "little bite" out of centre of the unh post-discal band indicates fagi. Also, the basal black unh line matched the T&L illustration of fagi quite closely, although I'm not sure how reliable this is. The area around the unf ocellus is quite murky, supposedly an indicator of fagi, whereas alcyone has a clear yellowish surround to the ocellus. Altitude 700m.
9669: fagi: a strange underside, compared to the norm, with a very grey post-discal band, where it is normally white or pale, and well-contrasted to the grey areas. The discal line is quite smooth, without the usual sharp angles, and the bite is the roundest I have ever seen. Strange. Altitude 780m.
14393: fagi - a clear nibble from the middle of the discal line.
14413: fagi - less clear, but I feel on balance this is still fagi. Records made at the time indicated it was rather large.
03_84-03: fagi: a female upperside seen during courtship.
8958_sex?_Hautes Pyrenees_8Aug07 - alcyone
3248__Alpes Maritimes_27Jul06 - alcyone
3244__Alpes Maritimes_27Jul06 - fagi
8506_sex?_Alpes de Haute Provence_24Jul07 - fagi
