| Side-by-Side Top-Bottom |
| Actual Image
Silver Thistle. (50)
peter_stoeckl
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1629 W: 287 N: 3646]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (10219) | Silver Thistle.
Late summer in the mountains of Southern Tyrol (Alto Adige). In the dry valley of Val Venosta (Vintschgau) most meadowns are brown, and most flowers gone. With a few exceptions:
The Silver thistle.
Carlina acaulis (Linnaeus, 1753)
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Cynareae
Genus: Carlina
“... a perennial dicotyledonous flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to alpine regions of central and southern Europe. The common names are descriptive of the manner that its flower head rests directly upon a basal leaf rosette. The spiny, pinnatilobate leaves grow in a basal rosette approximately 20 cm in diameter. The flowers are produced in a large (up to 10 cm) flowerhead of silvery-white ray florets around a central disc. To protect the pollen, the head closes in wet weather, a phenomenon folklore holds to presage forthcoming rain. The flowering time is between August and September.“ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlina_acaulis
Silver thistles are an attractive source of nectar to butterflies that are still around in good numbers at that time of the year - even at weather conditions with temperatures below freezing point almost every night at those elevations:
Erebia tyndarus.*)
Erebia tyndarus (Esper, 1781)
Swiss Brassy Ringlet
Grünschillernder Mohrenfalter
Zwitserse galserebia
Erebia Metálica Suiza
Moiré cuivré
Wing span 34 – 36 mm.
The Swiss Brassy Ringlet is reported from Mont Blanc through the central alpine range of Switzerland to the Austrian Oetztal, and Ortler in Italy. Brenner is the eastern border of its area of distribution.
Young males show a strong greenish metallic iridescence. Blank upper sides of hindwings without eyespots seem to be a good indicator to tell E. tyndarus from the others of the closely related group of brassy ringlets, but an even better indicator seems to be the small and sometimes even disappearing pair of eyespots on the upperside of upper wings.
The species can be met on alpine meadows at elevations from 1800m to 3000m.
Butterflies are on their wings in one extended generation from July to September. Caterpillars feed on grass: Festuca ovina, Nardus stricta.
The Location:
Stony mountain meadows between Trafoi and Passo di Stelvio, at an elevation of 2600 meters a.s.l., facing the ice covered peaks of Ortler group. To see the location, please click
> here.
Literature:
L.G. Higgins, N.D. Riley, W. Forster (bearb.): Die Tagfalter Europas und Nordwestafrikas, Hamburg und Berlin 1978²
T. Tolman, R. Lewington: Die Tagfalter Europas und Nordwestafrikas, Stuttgart 1998.
Chris Jonko: European Butterflies.
http://www.lepidoptera.pl
Peter Roos: Erebia tyndarus. http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/photo55499.htm
The Camera:
SONY DSC-H5, 3072 x 2304 pixel, sRGB, 18mm, F/8, 1/500 sec., ISO-125, bias: -0.3, 26.08.2008, 13:46
Postwork:
Photoshop Elements. Cropped, downsized to web, selectively sharpened, levels slightly adjusted.
Have a very nice day.
*) Peter Roos (batu), thank you for your expert advice to the correct identification. As you say, this here clearly shows > E. tyndarus, and not the quite similar looking > E. cassioides that usually would show a pair of pretty well developped eyespots on the upper sides of upper wings, both eye spots centred white, and touching each other. Location also would suggest E. tyndarus rather than E. cassioides, as well indicated by you. Thanks a lot. |
|
|
| Altered Image #2
peter_stoeckl
(10219)
E tyndarus - to Peter Roos.
Edited by:peter_stoeckl
(10219) |
This shot is cordially dedicated to
Peter Roos (batu),
one of the leading experts for entomology here on TN. His special faible for Satyrinae, and mountain Ringlets in particular, made him the best address for questions regarding the proper identification of Alpine Erebia with dozens of species really hard to tell from each other.
Thank you Peter (batu)!
Peter
The Camera: SONY DSC-H5, 3072 x 2304 pixel, sRGB, 18mm, F/8, 1/500 sec., ISO-125, bias: -0.3, 26.08.2008, 13:46 Postwork: Photoshop Elements. Cropped, downsized to web, selectively sharpened, levels slightly adjusted.
The Location: Stony mountain meadows between Trafoi and Passo di Stelvio, at an elevation of 2600 meters a.s.l., facing the peaks of Ortler. |
|
|
| Altered Image #1
peter_stoeckl
(10219)
The location.
Edited by:peter_stoeckl
(10219) |
Stony mountain meadows between Trafoi and Passo di Stelvio, at an elevation of 2600 meters a.s.l., facing the ice covered peaks of Ortler group, 3,905 metres (12,812 ft) a.s.l., 46°30′32″N 10°32′42″E.
SONY DSC-H5, 3072 x 2304 pixel, sRGB, 8mm, F/8, 1/500 sec., ISO-125, bias: -0.3, 26.08.2008, 10:39.
Hope you enjoy. |
|
|
