Western Marbled White (melanargia occitanica)
2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 10721_male_Var_22May08 | 10991_female_Var_31May08 | 10716_female_Var_22May08 |
A very attractive butterfly that is principally found in Spain but its distribution extends eastwards across southern France but no further. It has an appealing bluish colour in the unh ocelli. It is single brooded and is on the wing in May to mid-June. I have only found it in the western part of Var where is has been locally very common, although I have found it very nervous and difficult to approach and photograph.
10721: a male, based on body shape and heavier markings.
10991: a female, based on body shape and the lightness of the markings, very light even by the standards of female occitanica. The light and delicate markings make this species look more a white than a satyrid in flight.
10716: a female underside, showing the delicate pale chocolate brown markings and subtle blue centres in the ocelli. It has a frustrating habit of settling only on the ground and in light undergrowth, making it very difficult to get a good photograph.
