Safflower Skipper (pyrgus carthami)
2008 photos highlighted green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 1652_male_Var_5Jun06 | 11581_male_Var_26Jun08 | 1607_male_Var_5Jun06 |
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| 1620_males_Var_5Jun06 | 6946_female_Var_12Jun07 |
This is relatively easy to differentiate from its pyrgus cousins because it is significantly larger and has broad, rounded wings. The uph markings are quite characteristic, especially the submarginal series of streaks, and from the upperside view it could only be confused with the Yellow-banded Skipper (P. sidae). The underside is also quite characteristic as the unh white margin is continuous along the whole of the wing, and no other pyrgus has this.
1652: a male upperside. A strong grey-brown ground colour and very hairy at the wing bases. The upf white marks are strong, the cell spot resembling a seriffed "1". Altitude 850m, same location as 1607.
11581: a male, rather browner than usual. Altitude 920m.
1607: I think the hairtuft at the end of the abdomen confirms male. The unh ground colour is quite a faded brown, darker around the white marks giving a mottled effect. Altitude 850m.
1620: a group of males puddling on damp earth. Altitude 850m, same location as 1607.
6946: a female. A rather uniform and dark brown ground colour (c.f. the male in 1652) with clearly-contrasted but not large white marks. The shape of the cell spot seems characteristic of carthami. The uph marks are very pale in the discal region but quite sharp in the submarginal band. Altitude 700m.
