[Surreybirder]

I have been in Switzerland at a conference. I took my camera but didn't manage to get many photos. I'll put up a few of the least bad ones in case anyone is interested. I've made tentative IDs of some.
Ken

[Surreybirder]

This emerald didn't seem right for light emerald but it was about the same size.
Also a micro.
Marmot in 'zoo'
Alpine chough feeding off marmot's apples!
Also a large, very dark, brown butterfly, photographed at the same altitude as the alpine choughs.

[Surreybirder]

More grotty photos

[Surreybirder]

the thorn could be September. The wave could be willow beauty.

[Surreybirder]

A few habitat shots.

[Adey Baker]

The Erebia Ringlet could be anything - I have trouble identifying them with full upperwing and underwing shots!

[PaulK]

Could the last one in your first post be a least carpet?
2nd Post: Could the Emerald be a Small Emerald and the pyralid Dioryctria abietella?
3rd Post: The first could be a Rivulet of sorts?
4th Post: Could the Geometrid be a feathered beauty and the thorn a Purple Thorn
Looks like an excellent place - were there many birds around? nice picture of the alpine chough by the way

[Brian Stone]

I think your Pretty Pinion is a Least Carpet Idaea vulpinaria.

Edit: Ah, I see I'm not the only one

[Surreybirder]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Least carpet it is then.
the emerald was a decent size, as big as a willow beauty - possibly not a UK species.
On the bird question, I didn't do much birding but there were several linnets, a kestrel and loads of swifts at the top of the mountain.
At the level I was staying at (3,000 ft) there were:
black redstart (very common)
red-backed shrike (a family of 5)
white wagtail
house martin
swift
nutcracker (very common)
crossbill
chaffinch
blackcap
treecreeper (sp)
black kite
buzzard
firecrest
crested, blue, great, coal, long-tailed tit,
nuthatch
green and GS woodpecker
blackbird (inc. a flock of 12) and song thrush (found dead), mistle thrush
chiffchaff
robin (shy)
wren
jay
raven
chaffinch
spotted flycatcher (also common)
and lots of house sparrows.

I saw hummingbird hawk-moth twice.
There were few odos but I saw what might have been a Cordulegaster and also a possible southern hawker.
Only definite butterflies were:
marbled white
frit. species
comma
red admiral
swallowtail
painted lady
small tortoiseshell
and what I'm pretty sure was a clouded yellow.

[hjalava]

The first one looks like Watsonalla cultraria to me.

[Surreybirder]

Originally Posted by hjalava

The first one looks like Watsonalla cultraria to me.

You're probably right, Harri, in that I think I can see a hint of the hook. The inner edge of the median line looks a different shape from the illustration in Waring and Townsend - but the moth is so worn it's hard to be sure.
Do you have any thoughts on the emerald? It was about the size of light emerald (C margaritata) but the lines don't seem to be in the right positions for that species.
Ken

[hjalava]

Try Hemistola chrysoprasaria.
Have you seen this site? http://www.lepiforum.de/cgi-bin/lepi...stimmungshilfe

[black52bird]

Originally Posted by hjalava

The first one looks like Watsonalla cultraria to me.

Dear Harri

Good to see you're around. Hope all is well with the Finnish summer.

On the thread called 'Is everone on holiday' I put two posts with some Hungarian problems I've had. I'd be very grateful if you could give me your usual kind help with them, as I've drawn a blank on the usual sites/books, and feel they must be 'continental' species....

Thanks in advance

David

[black52bird]

Originally Posted by Surreybirder

More grotty photos

Dear Ken

I think the out-of-focus dead tiger may be Cream-spotted (Arctia villica), though not the 'britannica' variant shown in Waring (page 233)

I liked the Leopard Moth from the first batch - still haven't seen that - very smart.

Best

David

[Surreybirder]

Originally Posted by black52bird

Dear Ken

I think the out-of-focus dead tiger may be Cream-spotted (Arctia villica), though not the 'britannica' variant shown in Waring (page 233)

I liked the Leopard Moth from the first batch - still haven't seen that - very smart.

Best

David

Hi, David, the leopard moth was my star find. It was sitting on the pavement outside where I was staying.
The tiger was inside the municipal notice board, which stayed lit all night long. It had glass in front and acted like a skinner trap. There were quite a lot of dead moths inside it!
I'll check out A villica when I'm home.
Cheers,
Ken

[Surreybirder]

Originally Posted by hjalava

Try Hemistola chrysoprasaria.
Have you seen this site? http://www.lepiforum.de/cgi-bin/lepi...stimmungshilfe

thanks, Harri, I am convinced!
And thanks for the URL
Ken

[Wandered Scot]

Originally Posted by Surreybirder

More grotty photos

Dear Ken,

For the caterpillar if it wasn't on grass, but on moss and lichen, it may have been Xestia alpicola ryffelensis, but a side shot would help me compare.

Not certain okay, but it is a mountain specie, and I had one in 2004.

Cheers

Jim

[Surreybirder]

Hi, Jim, welcome back!
I'm afraid that was the only shot I took. It was a decent sized larva - at least 4cms long - which suggests to me that it might be a larger species than northern dart (unless the Swiss subspecies is much larger than the Scottish subspecies alpina?
Ken

[Wandered Scot]

Originally Posted by Surreybirder

Hi, Jim, welcome back!
I'm afraid that was the only shot I took. It was a decent sized larva - at least 4cms long - which suggests to me that it might be a larger species than northern dart (unless the Swiss subspecies is much larger than the Scottish subspecies alpina?
Ken

At 4cm it was not likely Northern dart then. from what I understand they would be currently about 10 to 15mm in their second year.

Cheers

Jim

[Roger Perkins]

Originally Posted by Surreybirder

More grotty photos

The Tiger moth is without doubt the largest European Arctiid, Pericallia matronula.

[Surreybirder]

Thanks, Roger, and welcome to Birdforum!
Ken

[Surreybirder]

Hi, Roger,
I looked at http://www.lepidoptera.bai.pl/start.php?lang=UK and www.leps.it
I cannot see how you can be so confident about P matronula.... my photo looks markedly different from all the examples shown. Is this a species that you are familiar with?
Ken

[Roger Perkins]

Originally Posted by Surreybirder

Hi, Roger,
I looked at http://www.lepidoptera.bai.pl/start.php?lang=UK and www.leps.it
I cannot see how you can be so confident about P matronula.... my photo looks markedly different from all the examples shown. Is this a species that you are familiar with?
Ken

Hi Ken,

I agree the photo on www.leps.it appears rather different (but it is from a slightly odd angle and the wings are also held in an unusual position - I suspect it was disturbed for the photo), although I have struggled to rear this species in the past (sleeved on Sallow). The larvae have a two-year life cycle and I have only managed to rear them to adults with larvae received from the Alps (which are almost pure white and hairy), that are already in their second year. Given the approximate size, timing of sighting, locality and especially the general markings of the individiual (given there are a number of variations within certain colonies), I consider there is no alternative species!

One can rarely be 100% certain, but I would wager quite a large amount on the individual being matronula!

regards,

Roger

[hjalava]

The Arctiid is in fact Callimorpha dominula.

[Surreybirder]

Thanks, Harri, I had no idea the scarlet tiger was so variable!
Ken