Northern Wall (Lasiommata petropolitana)
2022 photographs highlighted in blue. Click on any photograph to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 25507_male_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jun11 | 25516_male_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jun11 | 21304_male_Alpes-Maritimes_3Jul10 | 35242_male_Alpes-Maritimes_3Jun14 |
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| 47238_male_Savoie_10Jul20 | 25509_female_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jun11 | 25527_male_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jun11 |
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The only times I have seen petropolitana were in June 2005 when it appeared in healthy colonies in both the Basses Alpes (around 1300m) and the Hautes-Alpes at 2000m, and then not again until 2010, but then in every year subsequently in a variety of different locations. It is a butterfly of medium altitudes and relatively early emergence, the flight period being May-July. |
It can de identified for certain by the uph transverse discal line, which does not occur in the very similar male of the Large Wall (L. maera) with which it could otherwise easily be confused. |
| ref | sex |
observations |
alt. m |
| 25507 | M | rather worn, but maybe the wear has tended to accentuate the uph discal line. | 1320 |
| 25516 | M | a fresh male with quite large and bold ocelli. | 1320 |
| 21304 | M |
a male, clearly at the end of the flight period. |
1320 |
| 35242 | M | a male, quite fresh and dark, and the uph discal line is clear, if not readily apparent. | 1320 |
| 47238 | M | a male, from the northernmost part of petropolitana's range. It is slightly paler, perhaps due to ageing, but it does show the characteristic transverse discal line clearly. | |
| 25509 | F | a female, as indicated by the more extensive orange markings, as well as the body shape. | 1320 |
| 25527 | M | an underside of a rather worn male, looking as if it is at the end of the flight period. | 1320 |
25507_male_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jun11
25516_male_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jun11
21304_male_Alpes-Maritimes_3Jul10
35242_male_Alpes-Maritimes_3Jun14
25509_female_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jun11
25527_male_Alpes-Maritimes_08Jun11
