Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)  

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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.

8664_male_Var_31Jul07 14486_male_Rhône_12Apr09 23892_male_Var_14Sep10 45617_male_Rhône_23Aug18
 
51400_female_Hautes-Pyrénées_9Jul23 23896_male_Var_14Sep10 49283_male_Var_6Jun22  

A relatively common butterfly both in the UK and in France. The orange form is aegeria (the nominate form), common in the southern half of France, whereas the more creamy white form found in northern Europe (including all of the UK) is the subspecies tircis.

As with most Satyridae species, the female is more extensively marked, as 51400 amply demonstrates. Aegeria is a butterfly of dappled shade, often flying in dull weather.
ref sex

observations

alt. m
8664 M

a typical male of the nominate form.

450
14486 M

a fresh male of the nominate form, showing the extent and brightness of the orange markings.

320
23892 M

a male of the nominate form.

10
45617 M a male from the Rhône département. The uph markings seem quite different from the specimens from Var as shown on this page. 180
51400 F

a typical female of the nominate form. It probably looks quite exotic to anyone who is only familiar with the UK form.

1150
23896 M

a male of the nominate form.

10
49283 M a male of the nominate form, the unh quite lightly marked. 60

 

8664_male_Var_31Jul07

 

14486_male_Rhône_12Apr09

 

23892_male_Var_14Sep10

 

45617_male_Rhône_23Aug18

 

51400_female_Hautes-Pyrénées_9Jul23

 

23896_male_Var_14Sep10

 

49283_male_Var_6Jun22