Species list Home Page
Regarding the taxonomy and the list of species below, I have used the names listed under “Scientific name”, together with columns for the English name and the pre-2010 and current scientific name, where they are different from the “Scientific name”.
The reason I have not used the currently-accepted term in all cases is that the Scientific name had become established and widely used, especially in literature, much or most of it pre-dated the 2020 taxonomy. It is also the case that it entails a lot of work to re-order the scientific names alphabetically and, more importantly, the taxonomy is continually changing and there is no reason to believe that the 2020 taxonomy is final. The "Scientific name" is the current taxon unless the current column shows a different name, this being the currently-accepted taxon.
Species pages updated with 2023 photographs have the English names highlighted in green. Species for which there are no pages (as yet) are shown in grey text.
The species list was updated in the autumn of 2015 to remove Pigmy Skipper (Gegenes pumilio), which is now considered to be extinct in France. Mother-of-Pearl Blue (Polyommatus niviscens), Zephyr Blue (Plebejus pylaon), and Swiss Brassy Ringlet (Erebia tyndarus) also probably no longer occur in France. However, I have a page for E. tyndarus seen in Switzerland and that page has been retained for reference purposes. A page for Spanish Argus (Aricia morronensis) has been added as this species certainly does fly in France, albeit in only one or two small and remote localities.
There are enlarged versions of all photographs taken in 2006-23. To see the enlarged version, just click on the smaller, grid photograph (or simply scroll down), and scroll back up to return. A few photographs from 2005 and earlier have only been included if there were no better photographs available.
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note: the web software I use has recently decided to underline links. I have no idea why and cannot seem to eliminate it. It has no significance.