You might have read Dave Plowman’s article in EBG’s Newsletter 34 about the Nevada Grayling Pseudochazara williamsi surveys that were undertaken in Andalusia in July 2023. This butterfly is one of Europe’s most Critically Endangered butterflies, reduced to a handful of occupied sites and having disappeared from many more in recent times. The team of eight members recorded the butterfly on only two sites, though Spanish colleagues found it on a few others preceding and following the EBG survey. Our Spanish colleagues were very complimentary about the fantastic effort made by EBG members who participated in the survey and are keen to welcome us back in 2024 to resurvey known, former and potential sites.

As well as the Nevada Grayling there is a good chance of seeing other endemic species such as Zullich’s Blue Agriades zullichi, Spanish Argus Aricia morronensis, Spanish Brassy Ringlet Erebia hispania, Andalusian Anomalous Blue Polyommatus violetae and Nevada Blue Polyommatus golgus. The exact dates of the 2024 survey remain to be fixed but it is likely to be between 12th and 22nd July. Depending on how many people are interested we may stagger the surveys so no one needs to commit for the full period.

If you are interested in taking part in the 2024 survey, please email Sam Ellis sam.ellis@bceurope.eu by Tuesday 6th February 2024 and he will keep you informed as the survey plans develop. Please be aware that the surveys will be undertaken across a wide area and to maximise time participants will need to stay in several hotels. All the sites are at high altitude and whilst they can be partly accessed by vehicle, the surveys will involve walking in mountainous terrain and very probably in hot conditions. It's therefore important you feel you are physically fit enough and in sufficiently good health to survey under these conditions.

Request posted January 2024

You may have seen the article in the latest EBG Newsletter about the surveys that 2 teams undertook in Romania in May/June and August/September 2023. The Danube Clouded Yellow Colias myrmidone was once widespread in central and eastern Europe but is now classified as Vulnerable and can now only be found in any reasonable numbers in Romania and areas further east such as Belarus and Ukraine. We have been working for many years with colleagues in Germany and Romania to survey known myrmidone sites and ,more particularly, to search for new sites. Our surveys in 2023 found some new sites with healthy populations and we will be exploring further areas in northern Transylvania in 2024.

Once again we plan to make two survey visits and although the exact dates have yet to be finalised the first will be from around 25 May for about 9 or 10 days and the second in early August for a similar duration.

Romania is a country where agriculture is still practiced extensively and it has a butterfly fauna of just under 200 species. As well as looking for Colias myrmidone there will be time on both trips for finding other interesting species. As examples, the early trip in 2023 yielded sightings of Spinose Skipper Muschampia cribrellum, Assman’s Fritillary Melitaea britomartis and Scarce Fritillary Euphydryas maturna and on the later trip there is a chance to see Pallas’s Fritillary Argynnis laodice, Sudeten Ringlet Erebia sudetica and perhaps Violet Copper Lycaena helle. Fenton’s Wood White Leptidea morsei was seen on both trips. The hotel base for both survey trips will be near Cluj-Napoca although on the later trip it is likely that we will also visit areas further south to look for mountain species. If you are interested in taking part in either survey please email Mike Prentice mikeprentice7@gmail.com by 7 February and he will update you as more definite plans are finalised. The surveys are not particularly arduous although there is some walking on hilly and occasionally rough terrain. 

Request updated January 2024

Colleagues at Butterfly Conservation Europe (BCE) are working on the first ever European Red List of the macro-moths. Each species needs a photo and whilst they have photos of the British and common European species there is a large number for which they have no photos.

If you think you may be able to help please contact Mike Prentice who can supply a spreadsheet of the species for which photos are needed.

Request posted December 2022

This collective work was coordinated by Pierre-Yves Gourvil and Mathieu Sannier. The atlas covers the administrative area of Aquitaine before it became Nouvelle Aquitaine in 2016. The 5 departments concerned are Dordogne, Gironde, Landes, Lot and Garonne and Pyrénées Atlantiques.The atlas incorporates observations and inventories carried out by amateurs, volunteers and professionals including those of the Conservatoire d'espaces naturels de Nouvelle-Aquitaine and LPO Aquitaine mainly via the Observatoire de la Faune sauvage de Nouvelle-Aquitaine and LPO Aquitaine's 'faune-aquitaine" website. It comprises almost 400,000 records of 158 species for the period 2000 - 2020.

The book starts with an introduction to butterflies, their observation and identification, the history of butterfly studies in Aquitaine, local habitats, butterfly conservation in Aquitaine and finally the methodology and results of the atlas project.

The monographs (include English names) take up the vast majority of the book. They focus on each species' caterpillar host plants, ecology, biology, distribution, flight period, together with an historical analysis, species status, threats and conservation information. Each monograph is illustrated with photos, a distribution map and flight period graph.
The atlas is co-edited by the scientific publications of the MNHN (National Museum of Natural History)

Price 35€ plus p+p. Paperback, 464 pages. Text in French.

For more information and to order see here:
https://leclub-biotope.com/en/naturalist-bookstore/1742-atlas-des-papillons-de-jour-d-aquitaine

Many thanks to European Butterflies Group members who have contributed to this Atlas.

Post updated November 2022

Following on from the request of February 2016 from our partner Marie-Cécile Ruiz of the Corsican Environment Office (OEC-OCIC) for information and records on the distribution of Corsican Lepidoptera, we are pleased to say that the IUCN Regional Red List was published in 2017, and can be consulted here

This book is a photographic guide to the butterflies, burnet and forester moths of France.

The book has two main sections, the identification keys and the species monographs.
297 species are described in the book, with images of both upper and undersides of all male and female species to be found in mainland France.

Three species identification keys are proposed, a new "classic" determination key using both the upper and underside. A second key, using the upper side and a third key using the underside, aim to show how far one can progress with an identification when there is just a photograph of the species with the wings either open or closed.


The monographs are the main section of the book, each monograph comprises the scientific name and family, French and English vernacular names, a reference to the main identification key, 5 photographs, with a succinct text of the main id criteria which are also indicated on the photos, a small distribution map for France, flight period, the number of generations and the species status where applicable.

The book is a result of a collective involvement of more than 100 participants. Format 15 x 21cm, 512 pages, price 35€ plus postage, text in French.

For more information, to view sample pages and to order a copy of the book, please consult the Gard Nature website, see here:  http://gard-nature.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022_commande_papillons_de_france.pdf

Many thanks to EBG members who have participated in this project. 

Request updated November 2022

A request from the University of Bern, Switzerland,  Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Insect Migration and Ecology Lab. for Red Admiral sightings.

We have been contacted by Marco Thoma from the University, requesting records for this species, to help with the study of Red Admiral migration across Europe. Records can be submitted via the country portal, details can be found on the link below, e.g. Butterfly Conservation in the UK.

Alternatively by a mobile app such as 'NaturaList', or 'ObsMapp' for Android, or 'iObs' for iPhone.

Read more here:
https://insectmigration.wordpress.com/red-admiral-migration/

News Release (PDF)

Request posted April 2017