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Hipparchia aristaeus

Southern Grayling

Field Notes

Middle Atlas, Morocco, June 2005

Pletvar Massif, FYROM, July 2004

Pletvar Massif, FYROM, July 2004

Pelopennesos, Greece, June 2002

Superficially extremely similar to the Grayling, H. semele. This species replaces semele in the extreme south of Europe in Greece, Sicily (partial range overlap), Sardinia, Corsica and north Africa. The male genitalia are different. The best way to separate these species is to recognise in which range the butterfly was found! In Greece there is another species that it very closely resembles - Delattin's Grayling, H. volgensis.

In Greece this butterfly is of the subspecies senthes, although I believe some people treat this as a full species in its own right. The fact that the entire Hipparchia group appears to be subject to much debate and appears to be in state of speciation throughout its range, I leave it to the members of my audience to make their own choices!

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