Usually the
butterfly rests with wings closed in hot conditions so this squashed
butterfly is my only photo showing the upperside.
Provence,
September 2002
Saw like white
line on underside hindwing is distinctive but can be rather faint.
SE Pyrenees,
Spain, Aug 2003
Provence,
France, August 2001
On
paper this butterfly is fairly dark and dull but in the flesh it is a
smart insect with intricate underside markings. It is found across Spain
and southern France although it is usually very local and not normally
found in any numbers. It flies in very hot places with burnt up grass
and lots of bare earth. Old quarries and tracks cut through hillsides
are typical localities.