Alpine Heath (Coenonympha gardetta)
2021 photographs highlighted in yellow. Click on any photograph to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 12180_sex?_Hautes-Alpes_8Jul08 | 12194_sex?_Hautes-Alpes_8Jul08 | 13427_sex?_Valais, Switzerland_20Jul08 |
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| 17740_sex?_Hautes-Alpes_10Jul09 | 21946_sex?_Hautes-Alpes_11Jul10 | 36431_sex?_Valais, Switzerland_20Jul14 |
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| 48750_sex?_Haute-Savoie_24Jul21 |
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Gardetta is an altitude specialist occurring mostly at altitudes over 1500m, and although I have usually encountered it only in small numbers, sometimes it is very common above 2000m. It is relatively easy to identify, in France at least, because the black rings are very bold and (usually) all inside the white band. |
It has the characteristic silver unh submarginal band most apparent in fresh specimens. There is, however, scope for confusion between gardetta and the Darwin's Heath (C. darwiniana) and the key differences are addressed on the darwiniana page. |
| ref | sex |
observations |
alt. m |
| 12180 | ? |
the unh is quite orange except in the basal area, the unf is quite a warm orange not quite extending to the apex. |
1990 |
| 12194 | ? |
mildly orange but not warm, the white band is narrow and dentate and the ocelli are ringed yellow. |
1990 |
| 13427 | ? |
very similar to 12180, maybe not quite as orange. |
2200 |
| 17740 | ? |
this, in my opinion, is classic gardetta. The ocelli are large and strongly black, the ocelli are all nicely within the white band, and the unh ground colour is dark greyish. |
2100 |
| 21946 | ? |
a strong warm brown-orange colour for the unf, showing how gardetta can be very appealing when fresh. The unf ground colour is rather more chestnut brown than orange. |
2010 |
| 36341 | M? | the slightly offset forewings allow a glimpse of the forewing upperside. The apparent absence of orange in the post-discal region suggests that this is a male, because the female tends to have rather more orange on the upperside extending to the visible area. | 2090 |
| 48750 | ? | the unf is rather chestnut brown, contrasting with the pale apical tip. The ocelli are all within the white band and rather small. | 1760 |
12180_sex?_Hautes-Alpes_8Jul08
12194_sex?_Hautes-Alpes_8Jul08
13427_sex?_Valais, Switzerland_20Jul08
17740_sex?_Hautes-Alpes_10Jul09
21946_sex?_Hautes-Alpes_11Jul10
36431_sex?_Valais, Switzerland_20Jul14
48750_sex?_Haute-Savoie_24Jul21
