My Favorites

Comma butterfly landed on a shrub in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Purple Emperor resting on the wall of my house. Limousin, France.

A bee gathering necta of a cosmos flower in my garden. Limousin, France.

A male hoverfly resting on a sorrel leaf near the forest. Limousin, France.

A male hoverfly resting on a sorrel leaf near the forest. Limousin, France.

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly female gathering nectar of zinnia flower in my garden. Limousin, France.

Volucella inanis, a large hoverfly female, gathering nectar of Hemp-agrimony flowers. in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Tachinid Fly male resting on a narrowleaf plantain flower. Limousin, France.

Tachinid Fly male resting on a narrowleaf plantain flower. Limousin, France.

Heath Fritillary gathering nectar of a wood scabious flower in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Heath Fritillary gathering nectar of a buttercup flower in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Heath Fritillary gathering nectar of a daisy flower in a calcareous grassland. Limousin, France.

Heath Fritillary gathering nectar of a daisy flower in a calcareous grassland. Limousin, France.

Brimstone gathering nectar of Purple Deadnettle flowers. Limousin, France.

Brimstone gathering nectar of Quince flowers. Limousin, France.

Holly Blue gathering nectar of apple mint flowers. Limousin, France.

Marsh fritillary resting on a Wood Scabious (Knautia maxima) flower in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Spring brood Map gathering nectar of a creeping buttercup flower. Limousin, France.

Black-veined White male resting on a Meadow Sage flower. Drôme, France.

A Black-veined White gathering nectar of a Wood Scabious (Knautia maxima) flower in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Black-veined White male resting on a red clover flower. Drôme, France.

Black-veined White male resting on a red clover flower. Drôme, France.

Hoplia coerulea male in defensive position on a faded scabious in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Hoplia coerulea male resting on a bracken fern in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

A Blister Beetle eating a Salsify flower in a calcareous grassland. Diois, France.

Asian Lady Beetle on a leaf of lemon verbena in my garden. Limousin, France.

A Black-veined White gathering nectar of a Wood Scabious (Knautia maxima) flower in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

A Black-veined White gathering nectar of a Wood Scabious (Knautia maxima) flower in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Black-veined White female gathering nectar from tuberous thistle flower. Drôme, France.

A female of Black-veined White lays its eggs under a leaf of a shrub. Limousin, France.

A hoverfly female gathering nectar an umbelliferous flower around the castle of Allymes. Ain, France.

A hoverfly female cleaning its eyes on mint. Limousin, France.

A hoverfly female cleaning its eyes on mint. Limousin, France.

Hornet Mimic Hoverfly female resting on a shrub in a calcareous rocky slope. Murel, Lot, France.

A nice hoverfly female that resembles a wasp with tabanid eyesforaging scabious flower in an alpine meadow. Col de Lachau, Vercors, France.

Xanthogramma pedissequum male resting on a blade of grass in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Chrysotoxum cautum female gathering nectar of a Blue Aphyllanthes flower. Diois, France.

Provence Chalk-hill Blue mating on a grass in a wasteland bordering the Drôme. The male on the left is aberrant, layout and shape of the points of the forewing are different than they should be in this species. These variations can be caused by genetic origins or environmental stress suffered during the development of the caterpillar or during its pupation.

Common Darter female resting on a twig in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Glanville Fritillary resting on a flower bud in a wet meadow. Limousin, France.

Glanville Fritillary taking a sun bath, resting on a bracken fern. Limousin, France.

The Mother Shipton Moth is a moth that has daytime activities, particularly like chalk grasslands where it is often found but also frequents wet natural meadows well exposed. As here, where he exhibited his wings in the sun, posed in vegetation which is still covered with morning dew. Limousin, France.

Bright-line Brown-eye resting on a leaf in my garden. Limousin, France.

Clifden Nonpareil attracted by light at night and in the morning found outside my door. Limousin, France.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary resting on a blade of grass after rain.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary gathering nectar of a Wood Scabious flower in a wet meadow.