Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)

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2023 photographs highlighted in green. Click on any photograph to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.

20207_male_Var_19May10 20211_female_Var_19May10 42224_female_Var_4Sep16 49255_male_Var_29May22
20178_male_Var_19May10 10610_male_Var_19May08 1780_female_Var_7Jun06 18895_female_Aisne_21Jul09
     
51619_female_Lozčre_14Jul23      

A very common butterfly, almost certainly the most common in the UK, and perhaps in Europe too, although the Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) might claim that distinction in southern France. The male has quite a dull brown upperside with a single apical ocellus, although the female has a strong orange upf post-discal band and greater contrast on the unh.

 

It is - in my experience - generally a lowland species, unlike its cousin the Dusky Meadow Brown (Hyponephele lycaon) which I have found only at altitude; the textbook altitude ranges are, however, stated as essentially sea level to just below 2000m for both species.

In Provence, the subspecies hispulla predominates, where the ups orange areas on the female are extended and noticeably bright. T&L says that hispulla occurs in south-western France and is transitional to the nominate form in the south.

My experience in the PACA region is that pure hispulla occurs there, perhaps in company with the nominate form, although I do not recall having seen nominate jurtina in Var. UK visitors to Var have been somewhat taken aback on seeing hispulla because it is so different to the UK race.

ref sex

observations

alt. m
20207 M

a male, the dark sex brand clearly visible.

10
20211 F

a female, nicely illustrating the extended orange patches of the subspecies hispulla.

10
42224 F a female of the subspecies hispulla, which, on comparison, is almost identical to 20211, but with a more defined uph orange band. 220
49255 M a male, with a fairly pronounced discal line and absence of unh ocelli. 140
20178 M

a male, showing that even this common butterfly can be very appealing.

10
10610 F

a male, nice bright orange.

230
1780 F

this has a strong discal line externally yellow-orange around the edge of the cell, with a dark submarginal unf band and a double ocellus. This is, I think, the subspecies hispulla.

200
18895 F

a female of the nominate form.

80
51619 F a female with a very light underside, especially in the post-discal region. 1340

 

20207_male_Var_19May10

 

20211_female_Var_19May10

 

42224_female_Var_4Sep16

 

49255_male_Var_29May22

 

20178_male_Var_19May10

 

10610_male_Var_19May08

 

1780_female_Var_7Jun06

 

18895_female_Aisne_21Jul09

 

51619_female_Lozčre_14Jul23