High Brown or Niobe Fritillary (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

Hi all,
limited experience with HB and none of Niobe so appreciate any pointers. I'm currently in St Petersburg, Russia and on the edge of the range for both species.

What I can glean from Collins, post discal spots here are very weak for Hb and underside veins do seem black to me. Small spot near cell base is absent which means it should be High Brown?

I'd also like to share a little received wisdom from last year when I was struggling to separate Purple from Lesser Purple Emperor. The very obviously orange tip to the antennae is diagnostic apparently of Lesser, a feature I haven't seen mentioned in any literature I have? Both pics from today.

Andy

 

[Tiraya]

Haven't heard of that emperor feature, thanks for sharing. As someone who has seen many pictures of "normal" purple emperors (never in real life sadly) I can tell it looks slightly different just on the patterning, but that feature sounds useful if it is consistent.

 

[ApusApus]

My feeling is a HB Fritilliary, the forewing outer margin is slightly concave which shows on your photo. The Niobe outer margin is either straight or convex.


Shane

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks guys,
another expert has said it's HB pers com.

The Collins guide, Tolman and Lewington, the guide we all use in the UK, states that HB is 'very rare' in Northern Europe but I'm told it's common in Sweden?


Thanks again, Andy

 

[ApusApus]

Thanks guys,
another expert has said it's HB pers com.

The Collins guide, Tolman and Lewington, the guide we all use in the UK, states that HB is 'very rare' in Northern Europe but I'm told it's common in Sweden?


Thanks again, Andy

Andy, I use Haahtela, Saarinen, Ojalainen, Aarnio Butterflies of Britain & Europe and it shows both Fritillaries with similar distribution throughout Europe but with Niobe slightly less widespread being absent in UK, Northern France/Belgium and Portugal. Both species are absent from N Fennoscandia.


Shane

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks Shane,
if you look at the map in either book, we are almost directly East of Helsinki, just below the large lake, (Ladoga).

As you say the range for both is almost identical and both 'could' be here according to the map in Collins.



Thanks again, Andy

 

[stevejelf]

Hi

Both the Emperors have orange antenna tips although in my pictures its less apparent in the Purple Emperor

Steve

 

[Jos Stratford]

The Collins guide, Tolman and Lewington, the guide we all use in the UK, states that HB is 'very rare' in Northern Europe but I'm told it's common in Sweden?

High Brown is abundant in Lithuania - at peak season (early July), it is among the most common of the fritillaries. Niobe far more restricted in range.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks Guys.

The new distribution guide may be a lot more accurate hopefully.


Andy