Dalyan, SW Turkey - Butterflies and Dragonflies (1 Viewer)

Ruby · Jun 4, 2011

Hi All,

Just back from Dalyan and have some mysteries that I'm hoping someone will be able to help me solve.....

Very much a learner when it comes to exotic European butterflies and a bit overwhelmed by the many choices (not like our paltry UK list!) but even worse when it comes to dragonflies - I havn't even got a field guide:eek!:

So anyway, here they come.... there's a few, so I've labelled the first lot M1-M5....

Just to be contrary, I don't think M1 is a butterfly OR a dragonfly, but I don't have the first idea what it actually might be!!

Thanks..... Ray

tjsimonsen · Jun 4, 2011

Well, the first is indeed neither butterfly nor dragonfly. It is a neuopteran (relative of lacewings and antlions). It looks like Nemoptera sinuata.

Thomas

Ruby · Jun 4, 2011

Thanks Thomas..... It did put me in mind of a lacewing, albeit quite an impressive size!

Rgds.... Ray

tjsimonsen · Jun 4, 2011

Yep, some of the nueopterans are pretty impressive insects indeed.

As for the rest:
#2 is a male Lycaena phlaeas
#3 looks like Kirinia roxelana
#4 I'm not sure, but it could be Trithemis aurora
#5 looks interesting. I think it's a male plebejus loewii, although the base of the wing is very blue.

Thomas

Ruby · Jun 4, 2011

Here's a few more.....

paul47 · Jun 5, 2011

6 Tarucus balkanicus, Little Tiger Blue
7 Either Colias alfacariensis, Berger's Clouded Yellow or Colias crocea, Clouded Yellow
8 Aeshna isoceles, Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawker
9 ?? Pelopidas thrax, Millet Skipper
10 Crocothemis eryraea, Broad Scarlet

Ruby · Jun 5, 2011

Thanks Guys,

The Little Tiger Blue is a stunner isn't it....

The Green-eyed Hawker seemed to be the most populous of the large dragonflies in the local area - very impressive to be surrounded my hordes or them.

Re: the Broad Scarlet - to my untutored eye, there seemed to be two flavours of these - one bright scarlet and the other a more pinky-red.... would they be m&f? (of course, it could have been something else entirely!)

Rgds... Ray

Ruby · Jun 5, 2011

Here's the next bunch.....

Surreybirder · Jun 5, 2011

Hi, Ruby,
I would hazard that the first one is an immature/female scarlet darter (Crocothemis erythraea). Some people call this the broad scarlet (English dragonfly names are quite controversial although some people are now using the names in the latest fieldguide by Klaas-Douwe Dijkstar, illustrated by Richard Lewington, which you ought to get!).
5 is Orthetrum sabina (slender skimmer)
I'm not at all sure but #2 looks rather like scarce chaser (Libellula fulva) to me.
Ken

Surreybirder · Jun 5, 2011

Your Trithemis in your first post looks good for annulata to me... But aurora isn't shown in Dijkstra. Does it occur in SW Turkey at all?
Ken

Ruby · Jun 5, 2011

Thanks Ken..... As you say, I really do need a dragonfly field guide!

Ruby · Jun 6, 2011

I think that M14 looks quite a bit like an Ilex Hairstreak - any thoughts?

Rgds.... Ray

Ruby · Jun 6, 2011

....and M13 maybe Turkish or Aegean Meadow Brown - but not really experienced enough to tell which of those it might be.....

Steve Dudley · Jun 6, 2011

From your second batch of photos #8
1. imm/fem Scarlet Darter Crocothemis erythraea
2. old male Blue/Scarce Chaser Libellua fulva
3. (Persian) Meadow Brown Maniola telmessia
4. Ilex Hairstreak Satyrium ilicis
5. Slender Skimmer Orthetrum sabina

Ruby · Jun 6, 2011

Thanks Steve.....

Just to further my education - what is it about the Meadow Brown that makes it telmessia and not megala?

All the best.... Ray

Steve Dudley · Jun 6, 2011

Although I've yet to see megala myself (flight season is later than telmessia on Lesvos, I've always understood that apart from megala being larger, it has a more scalloped edge to the hindwing and reduced white spots in the dark circles on the underside of the hindwing - see here for some good examples.

On Lesvos, too many people mistake female telmessia for megala unaware that males and females are different!

Ruby · Jun 6, 2011

Thanks Steve...

and here's the last lot!

Surreybirder · Jun 6, 2011

Ruby said:
Thanks Ken..... As you say, I really do need a dragonfly field guide!

You're welcome to borrow mine!
Ken

Surreybirder · Jun 6, 2011

On the latest batch, I think you have another scarce chaser (only scarce in the UK) and a Norfolk hawker. That little triangle on the base of the abdomen should be yellow, but it may be a trick of the light.
Ken

Ruby · Jun 7, 2011

Thanks Ken (for the offer of the loan too

)

The photograph of the Hawker was taken early in the morning with very warm light - I guess that's why the colours are a bit off.

All the best.... Ray

Dalyan, SW Turkey - Butterflies and Dragonflies (1 Viewer)

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