Armenia part II

Day 2-3 Noravank gorge

Noravank is a small church lying in a long gorge southeast of Areni. I didn't pay too much attention to the church but had my views in the other direction... Butterfly watching in an amazing scenery, for birdwatchers among the readers; with golden eagle, blue rock thrush and red-fronted serin

Pyrgus sidae

Leptidea duponcheli

Pseudophilotes bavius vanicola

Phengaris arion

Plebejus eurypilus

Satyrium ledereri

Tomares romanovi

Libythea celtis

Provisional species list

Erynnis tages

Pyrgus serratulae

Pyrgus sidae

Ochlodes sylvanus

Thymelicus lineola

Papilio machaon

Papilio alexanor

Leptidea duponcheli

Aporia crataegi

Pieris krueperi

Colias croceus

Colias alfacariensis

Pieris pseudorapae

Lycaena phlaeas

Satyrium w-album

Cupido osiris

Glaucopsyche alexis

Phengaris arion

Pseudophilotes vicrama

Aricia agestis

Polyommatus amandus

Polyommatus icarus

Polyommatus bellargus

Plebejus eurypilus

Plebejus sephirus/zephyrinus

Pseudophilotes bavius vanicola

Satyrium ledereri

Tomares romanovi

Turanana endymion

Argynnis niobe

Argynnis pandora

Issoria lathonia

Euphydryas aurinia

Melitaea phoebe/pseudosibina

Melitaea arduinna

Vanessa cardui

Maniola jurtina

Hipparchia pellucida

Hyponephele lupina

Libythea celtis

Neptis rivularis

Thaleropis ionia

Armenia part I

Day 1 - Day 2: East of Urtsadzor - Southern borders of Khosrov state reserve

View on the habitat. Hot humid and bushy areas close to more arid slopes making it a varied and species rich habitat. Between 1200 and 1300m.

Eogenes alcides

Erynnis marloyi

Hipparchia pellucida

Hyponephele lupina

Melanargia russiae

Melitaea arduinna

Nymphalis xanthomelas, as described caterpillars on willow with branches hanging over water

Pseudochazara (mamurra) sharudensis

Satyrium abdominalis

Satyrus amasinus

Thaleropis ionia

Turanana endymion

Provisional species list

Erynnis marloyi

Pyrgus armoricanus

Pyrgus sidae

Spialia orbifer

Carcharodus alceae

Ochlodes sylvanus

Thymelicus lineola

Eogenes alcides

Iphiclides podalirius

Papilio machaon

Aporia crataegi

Pieris rapae

Pontia edusa

Colias croceus

Colias alfacariensis

Gonepteryx rhamni

Gonepteryx farinosa

Euchloe ausonia

Pieris pseudorapae

Lycaena phlaeas

Cupido minimus

Glaucopsyche alexis

Pseudophilotes vicrama

Aricia agestis

Polyommatus dorylas

Polyommatus icarus

Polyommatus thersites

Polyommatus bellargus

Callophrys chalybeitincta

Lycaena ochimus

Plebejus sephirus/zephyrinus

Polyommatus coelestinus

Satyrium abdominalis

Satyrium ledereri

Tomares romanovi

Turanana endymion

Argynnis niobe

Argynnis pandora

Issoria lathonia

Melitaea phoebe/pseudosibina

Melitaea cinxia

Melitaea didyma

Melitaea arduinna

Vanessa cardui

Aglais urticae

Nymphalis xanthomelas

Limenitis reducta

Lasiommata megera

Lasiommata maera

Coenonympha arcania

Coenonympha pamphilus

Maniola jurtina

Melanargia larissa

Melanargia russiae

Hipparchia pellucida

Chazara persephone

Hyponephele lupina

Pseudochazara (mamurra) sahrudensis

Satyrus amasinus

Thaleropis ionia

Armenia preface

From june 5th until june 18th I traveled through central and south Armenia to see some butterflies. I traveled alone mostly and with public transport (including some hiking). So taking into account this was my first visit to Transcaucasia for butterfly watching and taking into account that the way of travelling included some limitations I didn't have a real wishlist of species I really wanted to see.
Of course this didn't mean that I didn't do some preparation. For a start i bought this book of the Thsikolovets series: https://sites.google.com/site/tshikolovetsbooks/home/1-the-butterflies-of-palaearctic-asia-series/-vol-9-the-butterflies-of-caucasus-and-transcaucasia
Some websites I used for preparation also gave valuable information, especially following 3 websites.
This first one is a Russian website on the Butterflies of Caucasus and Transcaucasia. With google translate easy to follow and giving valuable distribution maps of the region.
A second one is the website of Heiner Ziegler, a Swiss Pierid specialist, who has been in Armenia and has a trip report of his journey on his website.
Another website i used is the website of Butterfly conservation Armenia. The website is still under construction but gives some valuable information on some prime butterfly areas in Armenia.
All these sources gave very valuable information but also revealed that butterfly taxonomy in this region still holds some problematic issues, more than we are used to in Europe, with different opinions in each of these sources on difficult to determine groups such as Pieris napi-group, Melitaea phoebe-group, the genus Callophrys, the Agrodiaetus-complex, Pseudochazara mamurra-group,... So in the following pages I will sometimes refer to some of these species with giving names where you will probably have to read these names with a 'sensu lato"-state of mind. I don't feel like I am in any position to take a stand in some of these taxonomic issues.

An overview of the region i visited is given in following 2 maps:

Enough talking now, let's get to Armenia part I!!