Aricia artaxerxes [ Lycaenidae] in Northern Britain.
Oct 27, 2013 1:24:47 GMT -8
jensb and smallcopper like this
Post by nomad on Oct 27, 2013 1:24:47 GMT -8
The Northern Brown Argus [ Aricia artaxerxes ]. Fabricius 1793.
For many years there was much confusion in Britain as to whether A. artaxerxes of the Lycaenidae family was a really a distinct species or a subspecies of its southern cousin Aricia agestis. Lewin in 1795 was the first to figure this species and he named the butterfly,' The Brown whitespot ' after the first specimens were collected in Scotland. This is a rather apt English name for the Scottish nominate race because they look very distinct with a forewing that has a large white central dot , as if it has had a splash of white paint. When another Argus butterfly was discovered at Castle Eden Dene in Co Durham in northern England, which Stephens in 1828 named ' Polyommatus salmacis ', there was much confusion among lepidopterists. Over a long period of time some believed there were three different species of Argus butterflies in Britain, while others thought they all belonged to one species. Even E. B. Ford in his great work Butterflies [1945] got it wrong. Ford believed that artaxerxes was a subspecies of A. agestis and salmacis was the hybrid between them. 170 years after the butterfly was first discovered in Britain during the 1960s, it was proved without doubt there were two different species of Aricia in Britain. In the British Isles A. artaxerxes artaxerxes is said to be confined to Scotland with its subspecies salmacis being found only in the very north of England. However the story does not end there. Recent genetic and breeding studies by K. Aargaad and F. Jarvis have shown that those populations found in the Yorkshire Wolds, the Peak District and North Wales belong to A. agestis and not to A. artaxerxes. They also have said that the A. artaxerxes from Scotland may not be an endemic subspecies but may be closely related to the populations in Scandinavia. However, it is known that the Scotish populations has been isolated for at least 10,000 years and none of the European populations has the large white forewing eyespot. There are also major differences in the hindwing undersides of Scottish A. artaxerxes where the black spots almost disappear and are replaced by larger white spots. A. artaxerxes usually occurs in some beautiful habitat. In Scotland, where I have yet to see this species [ perhaps next year] a number of colonies are on windswept headlands with an abundance of wild flowers. In the Southern English Lake District where I observed the subspecies salmacis, the butterflies were on the open plateau of a very wooded limestone hill with glorious views across to the higher scars [ limestone ridges ]. Here the butterfly occurred in very small numbers in the grassland clearings among the bracken, where the foodplant Common Rock-rose [ Helianthemum nummularium] thrived . During warm days, when not basking in the sunshine or feeding the adults are busy little butterflies with a fast flight and are very hard to follow as they appear as silvery darting shapes.
Even today not all it seems is known about this little butterfly. This species along with Lycaena dispar and Colias alfacariensis are the only butterflies that have been described from specimens collected in Britain. It appears that the butterfly was discovered on Arthur's Seat, a hill in the centre of the city of Edinburgh during the early 1790s. Around 1870 it became extinct here, it is said by over-collecting, this being a very accessible locality. However a few years ago, over a 120 years after it disappeared, A. artaxerxes was found again on Arthur's Seat. It certainly was not reintroduced, so how did it recolonise this isolated site or had it survived there all along on perhaps some inaccessible grasslands below the cliffs but this seems strange because this site is one of the best recorded places in Scotland. This all seems very mysterious. In the recent edition of the Book the Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, Jeremy Thomas, one of Britain foremost butterfly experts states that A. artaxerxes artaxerxes is confined to Scotland. However, the amateur butterfly photographer Tim Melling found a small population of Northern Brown Argus on steep crumbling slopes in Co Durham in Northern England that seem identical to the nominate A. artaxerxes and he has excellent photographs of the butterflies that occur in that locality. Perhaps even the experts are not always right.
Which brings me to the subject of butterfly photographers. I recently saw a thread where a member asked how come the butterfly photographers find all the rare butterflies. This of course is not always true, or we would not have all those mouth watering specimens for sale from exotic lands. However in Britain, butterfly photography is big business and a big hobby with hundreds of enthusiasts. At some of Britain's best butterfly sites, there may be 20-30 people on some days, many with their expensive cameras and lenses looking to obtain the best images of an elusive butterfly. That Purple Emperor may be stalked just like our future King William and his wife Kate are by the paparazzi. Therefore it is a relief to visit other sites where you be alone with your camera and have some blissful peace. Some of these butterfly photographers in Britain are very knowledgeable fellows and some are not and some of course tell friends where to find rare butterflies. Many have a wide interest in Natural History and some are ex birders drawn to challenge of getting the best or treasured images of a much smaller quarry. Some know their patch very well and have a eye for a good site where they make some interesting discoveries such as the chap who may have found a English population of A. artaxerxes artaxerxes.
The Scottish race of A. artaxerxes artaxerxes showing the large forewing eye spot. Unknown photographer.
A. artaxerxes salmacis from Yewbarrow Cumbria.
Underside of A. artaxerxes salmacis from Arnside Knott in Cumbria
Aricia agestis female, Oxfordshire.
For many years there was much confusion in Britain as to whether A. artaxerxes of the Lycaenidae family was a really a distinct species or a subspecies of its southern cousin Aricia agestis. Lewin in 1795 was the first to figure this species and he named the butterfly,' The Brown whitespot ' after the first specimens were collected in Scotland. This is a rather apt English name for the Scottish nominate race because they look very distinct with a forewing that has a large white central dot , as if it has had a splash of white paint. When another Argus butterfly was discovered at Castle Eden Dene in Co Durham in northern England, which Stephens in 1828 named ' Polyommatus salmacis ', there was much confusion among lepidopterists. Over a long period of time some believed there were three different species of Argus butterflies in Britain, while others thought they all belonged to one species. Even E. B. Ford in his great work Butterflies [1945] got it wrong. Ford believed that artaxerxes was a subspecies of A. agestis and salmacis was the hybrid between them. 170 years after the butterfly was first discovered in Britain during the 1960s, it was proved without doubt there were two different species of Aricia in Britain. In the British Isles A. artaxerxes artaxerxes is said to be confined to Scotland with its subspecies salmacis being found only in the very north of England. However the story does not end there. Recent genetic and breeding studies by K. Aargaad and F. Jarvis have shown that those populations found in the Yorkshire Wolds, the Peak District and North Wales belong to A. agestis and not to A. artaxerxes. They also have said that the A. artaxerxes from Scotland may not be an endemic subspecies but may be closely related to the populations in Scandinavia. However, it is known that the Scotish populations has been isolated for at least 10,000 years and none of the European populations has the large white forewing eyespot. There are also major differences in the hindwing undersides of Scottish A. artaxerxes where the black spots almost disappear and are replaced by larger white spots. A. artaxerxes usually occurs in some beautiful habitat. In Scotland, where I have yet to see this species [ perhaps next year] a number of colonies are on windswept headlands with an abundance of wild flowers. In the Southern English Lake District where I observed the subspecies salmacis, the butterflies were on the open plateau of a very wooded limestone hill with glorious views across to the higher scars [ limestone ridges ]. Here the butterfly occurred in very small numbers in the grassland clearings among the bracken, where the foodplant Common Rock-rose [ Helianthemum nummularium] thrived . During warm days, when not basking in the sunshine or feeding the adults are busy little butterflies with a fast flight and are very hard to follow as they appear as silvery darting shapes.
Even today not all it seems is known about this little butterfly. This species along with Lycaena dispar and Colias alfacariensis are the only butterflies that have been described from specimens collected in Britain. It appears that the butterfly was discovered on Arthur's Seat, a hill in the centre of the city of Edinburgh during the early 1790s. Around 1870 it became extinct here, it is said by over-collecting, this being a very accessible locality. However a few years ago, over a 120 years after it disappeared, A. artaxerxes was found again on Arthur's Seat. It certainly was not reintroduced, so how did it recolonise this isolated site or had it survived there all along on perhaps some inaccessible grasslands below the cliffs but this seems strange because this site is one of the best recorded places in Scotland. This all seems very mysterious. In the recent edition of the Book the Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, Jeremy Thomas, one of Britain foremost butterfly experts states that A. artaxerxes artaxerxes is confined to Scotland. However, the amateur butterfly photographer Tim Melling found a small population of Northern Brown Argus on steep crumbling slopes in Co Durham in Northern England that seem identical to the nominate A. artaxerxes and he has excellent photographs of the butterflies that occur in that locality. Perhaps even the experts are not always right.
Which brings me to the subject of butterfly photographers. I recently saw a thread where a member asked how come the butterfly photographers find all the rare butterflies. This of course is not always true, or we would not have all those mouth watering specimens for sale from exotic lands. However in Britain, butterfly photography is big business and a big hobby with hundreds of enthusiasts. At some of Britain's best butterfly sites, there may be 20-30 people on some days, many with their expensive cameras and lenses looking to obtain the best images of an elusive butterfly. That Purple Emperor may be stalked just like our future King William and his wife Kate are by the paparazzi. Therefore it is a relief to visit other sites where you be alone with your camera and have some blissful peace. Some of these butterfly photographers in Britain are very knowledgeable fellows and some are not and some of course tell friends where to find rare butterflies. Many have a wide interest in Natural History and some are ex birders drawn to challenge of getting the best or treasured images of a much smaller quarry. Some know their patch very well and have a eye for a good site where they make some interesting discoveries such as the chap who may have found a English population of A. artaxerxes artaxerxes.
The Scottish race of A. artaxerxes artaxerxes showing the large forewing eye spot. Unknown photographer.
A. artaxerxes salmacis from Yewbarrow Cumbria.
Underside of A. artaxerxes salmacis from Arnside Knott in Cumbria
Aricia agestis female, Oxfordshire.
to getting out in the field and finding the nominate A. artaxerxes on the Scottish Coast, which seems a long way off with the long cold northern winter only just beginning. 
