Attacked by a Purple Emperor near Bellabre, Brenne...
There are at least 240 butterfly species in France including Corsica, of which c.98 occur in the Brenne and c.99 in the Vienne.
The best butterfly months are June and July, although May is always interesting being the first month a large selection of species can be seen. As with birds, I have found the best sites for butterflies by walking the local footpaths, sentiers, using IGN maps available at the local supermarket, the blue series called Carte de randonnee, scale 1:25000 (1cm = 250m), generally covering about 200-250 square kilometres. These retail at around 8 Euros, and of course you may need more than one to cover your area. Secondly, check out the local Mairie and ask for information on the local sentiers. There is an extensive network of well-signposted public rights of way throughout the country, most are well maintained even though they are under-used. Departments/regions produce walking maps, one per sentier, usually a long loop, and they are available free either from the Mairie, or the tourist office of the nearest large town. Route signs normally also carry the name of the sentier.
Any calcerous areas are always worth checking, e.g. chalk downland and limestone outcrops, although sometimes the greatest variety of species can be found on neutral flower-rich meadows.
Butterflies gallery
All species were photographed in the wild, using a variety of compact-zoom digital cameras. The standard set-up of DSLR body plus short telephoto-macro lens obviously gives better quality images; personally I find the whole thing too much of an encumbrance - the shots here and in the Butterflies gallery simply record what I see in the field
Berger’s Clouded Yellow was netted locally; we use a butterfly net as a last resort, all individuals are returned to the wild within a few minutes. I find photography a far more effective and enjoyable aid to butterfly identification
Main sources of reference;
Butterflies of Europe. Tristan Lafranchis, published by Diatheo, France, 2004. Absolutely indispensable, and main source of reference
Field Guide to Butterflies of Britain and Europe. Tolman/Lewington, published by Collins, London, 1997. Also essential, though not as user-friendly as Lafanchis.
The Mitchell Beazley pocket guide to Butterflies. Paul Whalley, published by Mitchell Beazley, London, 1981. Cracking little guide that still punches above it’s weight
The order of butterfly species follows this guide
Butterflies of France www.butterfliesoffrance.com Roger Gibbons' excellent photographic identification website
Indre Nature www.indrenature.net
Butterfly list for the departement Indre (covering the Brenne)
Vienne Nature www.vienne-nature.asso.fr
Butterfly list for the departement Vienne
Thanks to Samuel Ducept (Vienne) for help with identification and correcting some of my original errors. http://www.6pattes.fr
List of butterfly species observed in the VIENNE/BRENNE WITHIN AN HOURS DRIVE OF MOULISMES, since our arrival in January 2006. The abundance guide may help if you live or are staying in the general area. It is based only on my observations since January 2006, and may or may not reflect the true status within the area
1 = Very common
2 = Fairly common
3 = Scarce
4 = Rare or localised
GRIZZLED SKIPPER (Pyrgus malvae) - L'Hesperie de la mauve ------3
OBERTHUR'S SKIPPER (Pyrgus armoricanus) - L'Hesperie des potentilles ------4
RED UNDERWING SKIPPER (Spialia sertorius) - L'Hesperie des Sanguisorbes ------4
MALLOW SKIPPER (Carcharodus alceae) - La grisette ------4
LARGE CHEQUERED SKIPPER (Heteropterus morpheus) - Le Miroir ------3
DINGY SKIPPER (Erynnis tages) - Le Point de Hongrie ------2
CHEQUERED SKIPPER (Carterocephalus palaemon) - L'Hesperie du brome ------4
LULWORTH SKIPPER (Thymelicus acteon) - L'Hesperie du chiendent ------3
ESSEX SKIPPER (Thymelicus lineolus) - L'Hesperie du dactyle ------2
SMALL SKIPPER (Thymelicus sylvestris) - L'Hesperie de la houque ------2
LARGE SKIPPER (Ochlodes venatus) - La Sylvaine ------1
SWALLOWTAIL (Papilio machaon) - Le Machaon ------2
Swallowtail, Moulismes; a common garden visiter
SCARCE SWALLOWTAIL (Iphiclides podalirius) - Le Flambé ------1
LARGE WHITE (Pieris brassicae) - La Pieride du chou ------1
SMALL WHITE (Pieris rapae) - La Pieride de la rave ------1
GREEN-VEINED WHITE (Pieris napi) - La Pieride du navet ------1
BLACK-VEINED WHITE (Aporia crataegi) - Le Gazé ------2
ORANGE TIP (Anthocharis cardamines) - L'Aurore ------1
BERGER'S CLOUDED YELLOW (Colias alfacariensis) - Le Fluoré ------2
CLOUDED YELLOW (Colias crocea) - Le Souci ------1
BRIMSTONE (Gonepteryx rhamni) - Le Citron ------1
WOOD WHITE (Leptidea sinapis) - La Pieride de la moutarde ------1
PURPLE EMPEROR (Apatura iris) - Le Grand Mars changeant ------4
LESSER PURPLE EMPEREOR (Apatura ilia) - Le Petit Mars changeant ------4
SOUTHERN WHITE ADMIRAL (Limenitis reducta) - Le Sylvain azuré ------2
WHITE ADMIRAL (Limenitis camilla) - Le Petit Sylvain ------2
MAP BUTTERFLY (Araschnia levana) - La Carte geographique ------2
CAMBERWELL BEAUTY (Nymphalis antiopa) - Le Morio ------3
LARGE TORTOISESHELL (Nymphalis polychloros) - La Grande Tortue ------2
Large Tortoiseshells, Moulismes; often the first species out of hibernation
SMALL TORTOISESHELL (Aglais urticae) - Petite Tortue ------4 (Vienne)
COMMA (Polygonia c-album) - Le Robert le diable ------1
PAINTED LADY (Vanessa cardui) - La Belle Dame ------1
RED ADMIRAL (Vanessa atalanta) - Le Vulcain ------1
PEACOCK (Inachis io) - Le Paon du jour ------1
SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY (Argynnis paphia) - Le Tabac d'Espagne ------2
DARK GREEN FRITILLARY (Argynnis aglaja) - Le Grand Nacré ------4 (Brenne)
QUEEN OF SPAIN FRITILLARY (Issoria lathonia) - Le Petit Nacré ------3
MARBLED FRITILLARY (Brenthis daphne) - Le Nacré de la ronce ------2
WEAVER’S FRITILLARY (Clossinia dia) - Le Petite Violette ------2
KNAPWEED FRITILLARY (Melitaea phoebe) - La Melitee des centaurees------3
GLANVILLE FRITILLARY (Melitaea cinxia) - La Melitee du plantain ------2
SPOTTED FRITILLARY (Melitaea didyma) - La Melitee orangée ------2
HEATH FRITILLARY (Mellicta athalia) - La Melitee du melampyre ------2
MEADOW FRITILLARY (Mellicta parthenoides) - La Melitee des scabieuses ------3
MARSH FRITILLARY (Euphydryas aurinia) - Le Damier de la succise ------4
Marsh Fritillary, Saulney, Brenne; a surprisingly difficult species to find
MARBLED WHITE (Melanargia galathea) - Le Demi-deuil ------2
WOODLAND GRAYLING (Hipparchia fagi) - Le Sylvandre ------4 (Brenne)
DRYAD (Minois dryas) - Grand nègre des bois ------4(Brenne)
GREAT BANDED GRAYLING (Brintesia circe) - Le Silène ------3
MEADOW BROWN (Maniola jurtina) - Le Myrtil -----1
GATEKEEPER (Pyronia tithonus) - L'Amaryllis ------1
RINGLET (Aphantopus hyperantus) - Le Tristan ------3
SMALL HEATH (Coenonympha pamphilus) - Le Fadet commun ------1
PEARLY HEATH (Coenonympha arcania) - Le Céphale ------3
SPECKLED WOOD (Pararge aegeria) - Le Tircis ------2
WALL BROWN (Lasiommata megera) - La Mégère ------2
WOODLAND BROWN (Lopinga achine) - La Bacchante -----4 (Brenne)
PURPLE HAIRSTREAK (Neozephyrus quercus) - La Thecla du chene ------2
BROWN HAIRSTREAK (Thecla betulae) - La Thecla du bouleau ------3
ILEX HAIRSTREAK (Satyrium ilicis) - La Thecla de l'yeuse ------2
BLACK HAIRSTREAK (Satyrium pruni) - La Thecla du prunier ------4
WHITE-LETTER HAIRSTREAK (Satyrium w-album) - La Thecla de l'orme ------4
GREEN HAIRSTREAK (Callophrys rubi) - La Thecla de la ronce ------3
SMALL COPPER (Lycaena phlaeas) - Le Cuivré commun ------2
LARGE COPPER (Lycaena dispar) - Le Cuivré des marais -----4
SOOTY COPPER (Lycaena tityrus) - Le Cuivré fuligineux ------1
LONG-TAILED BLUE (Lampides boeticus) - L'Azuré porte-queue ------4
SHORT-TAILED BLUE (Everes argiades) - L'Azuré du trefle ------3
PROVENCAL SHORT-TAILED BLUE (Everes alcetas) - L'Azuré de la faucille ------3
Provencal Short-tailed Blue, Moulismes; a global-warming beneficiary?
LITTLE BLUE (Cupido minimus) - L'Argus frêle ------4
HOLLY BLUE (Celastrina argiolus) - L'Azuré des nerpruns ------1
LARGE BLUE (Maculinea arion) - L'Azuré du serpolet ------4 (Vienne)
REVERDIN'S BLUE (Plebejus argyrognomon) - Azuré des coronilles -----4 (Vienne)
BROWN ARGUS (Aricia agestis) - Le Collier de corail ------2
MAZARINE BLUE (Cyaniris semiargus) - Le Demi-Argus ------3
CHALK-HILL BLUE (Lysandra coridon) - L'Argus a bleu nacré ------2
ADONIS BLUE (Lysandra bellargus) - Le Bel Argus ------1
COMMON BLUE (Polyommatus icarus) - L'Argus bleu ------1
Total 78 species 22/6/10
Other Insects
Other insects gallery
Moths listed here are largely those I have found during the day
Main source of reference;
Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe. Michael Chinery, published by Collins, London, 1986
The order of insect species follows this guide
MAYFLY (Ephemera sp.)
COMMON GREEN GRASSHOPPER (Omocestus viridulus)
GRASSHOPPER sp. (Paracinema tricolor)
RED-WINGED GRASSHOPPER (Oedipoda germanica)
BLUE-WINGED GRASSHOPPER (Oedipoda Caerulescens)
BUSH-CRICKET sp. (Phaneroptera nana)
SPECKLED BUSH-CRICKET (Leptophyes punctatissima)
LARGE CONEHEAD (Ruspolia nitidula)
GREAT GREEN BUSH-CRICKET (Tettigonia viridissima)
ROESEL'S BUSH-CRICKET (Metrioptera roeselii)
Roesel's Bush-cricket, Moulismes
FIELD CRICKET (Gryllus campestris)
PRAYING MANTIS (Mantis religiosa)
STICK INSECT (Bacillus rossius)
SHIELD BUG sp. (Graphosoma italicum)
GREEN SHIELD BUG (Palomena prasina)
SLOE BUG (Dolycoris baccarum)
FIRE BUG (Pyrrhocoris apterus)
ASCALAPHID sp. (Libelloides coccajus)
SCORPION FLY sp. (Panorpa communis)
FIREY CLEARWING (Bembecia chrysidiformis)
Firey Clearwing, Moulismes
LEOPARD MOTH (Zeuzera pyrina)
6-SPOT BURNET (Zygaena filipendulae)
5-SPOT BURNET (Zygaena trifolii)
BURNET sp. (Zygaenidae fausta)
BURNET sp. (Zygaenidae osterodensis)
COMMON FORESTER (Adscita statices)
OAK EGGAR (Lasiocampa quercus)
FOX MOTH (Macrothylacia rubi)
BROAD-BORDERED BEE HAWK-MOTH (Hemaris fuciformis)
HUMMINGBIRD HAWK-MOTH (Macroglossum stellatarum)
WILLOWHERB HAWK-MOTH (Proserpinus proserpina)
CREAM-SPOT TIGER (Arctia villica)
JERSEY TIGER (Euplagia quadripunctaria)
WHITE ERMINE (Spilosoma lubricipeda)
CLOUDED BUFF (Diasrisia sannio)
CINNABAR (Tyria jacobaeae)
SILVER Y (Autographa gamma)
MOTHER SHIPTON (Callistege mi)
SPECKLED YELLOW (Pseudopanthera macularia)
MOTH sp. (Drymonia velitaris)
SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER (Xestia c-nigrum)
WILLOW BEAUTY (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)
PALE OAK BEAUTY (Hypomecis punctinalis)
LATTICED HEATH (Semiothisa clathrata)
CADDIS FLY sp. (Trichoptera sp.)
BEE-FLY (Bombylius major)
Bee-fly sp. Merigny, Brenne
HORNET ROBBERFLY (Asilis crabroniformis)
HOVERFLY sp. (Xanthogramma pedissequum)
HOVERFLY sp. (Volucella zonaria)
HOVERFLY sp. (Helophilius pendulus)
HOVERFLY sp. (Myathropa florea)
LOUSE-FLY (Tachina fera)
ICHNEUMON FLY sp. (Ichneumonidae sp)
DIGGER WASP sp. (Sphecidae sp.)
COMMON WASP (Vespula vulgaris)
HORNET (Vespa crabro)
BEE sp. Anthophora plumipes(?)
CARPENTER BEE (Xylocopa violacea)
HONEY BEE (Apis mellifera)
GREEN TIGER BEETLE (Cicindela campestris)
LESSER STAG BEETLE (Dorcus parallelipipedus)
STAG BEETLE (Lucanus cervus)
BEETLE sp. (Sinodendron cylindricum)
DOR BEETLE (Geotrupes stercoriarius)
DUNG BEETLE sp. (Copris lunaris)
COCKCHAFER (Melolontha melolontha)
BLUE CHAFER BEETLE sp. (Hoplia caerulea)
ROSE CHAFER (Cetonia aurata)
GLOW WORM (Lampyris noctiluca)
CARDINAL BEETLE sp. (Pyrochroa serraticornis)
OIL BEETLE sp. (Meloe violaceus)
BLOODY-NOSED BEETLE (Timarcha tenebricosa)
COLORADO BEETLE (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)
GARDEN SPIDER (Araneus diadematus)
WASP SPIDER (Argiope bruennichi)
NURSERY WEB SPIDER (Pisaura mirabilis)
RAFT SPIDER sp. (Dolomedes sp.)
CRAB SPIDER sp. (Misumena vatia)