Tuesday 30 June 2015

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

Saturday 27 June 2015

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

Friday 26 June 2015

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!!