Silver-washed Fritillary (female).

[JohnP]

This is the unusual Valezina form of the female.  Typically only a few percent of the females in a colony are of this form, and at one time they were confined to the southern coastal counties of Dorset, Hampshire and West Sussex.  In recent years however, the Valezina form appears to have been spreading further northwards though, whether this is purely the result of natural expansion, or has been influenced by the deliberate release of captive-bred butterflies, is unclear. I took these shots in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

[Clicker]

Wow John. That looks really exotic .... simply stunning images ... 

[JohnP]

Polly...I have only ever seen two, both in the Forest of Dean within a few days of each other, I wondered what it was. The dark markings looked like a Silver-washed Fritillary but the background colour should be a lightish orange. I sent photos and grid references to the Butterfly Conservation folks and they confirmed they were both Valezinas and none had ever been reported in the Forest of Dean before. ...I was very lucky I reckon!

[Clicker]

How very observant of you to find them John .....fascinating story ... so are these the two that you saw ... I thought it was photos of the same butterfly at first but the colouring on the first two pics looks different...  it may be because they are both on the same variety of plant that I have presumed that ... I’ve never heard of Valezinas before either ... gosh you really do know your butterflies don’t you ... your butterfly gallery certainly shows that ...

[JohnP]

1 hour ago, Clicker said:

How very observant of you to find them John .....fascinating story ... so are these the two that you saw ... I thought it was photos of the same butterfly at first but the colouring on the first two pics looks different...  it may be because they are both on the same variety of plant that I have presumed that ... I’ve never heard of Valezinas before either ... gosh you really do know your butterflies don’t you ... your butterfly gallery certainly shows that ...

The first two shots show the same butterfly but on two different thistles a few feet apart, the lighting is different in each shot so that changed the colouring. The last shot is a different butterfly taken a few days later about 100yards from where I took the first two shots, it was nice to see the under wing colours.

[Clicker]

Ah that explains it ... I have to say the underwing colours are  exquisite. Butterflies really are  Nature's  works of art from start to finish aren't they ....

[JohnP]

25 minutes ago, Clicker said:

Ah that explains it ... I have to say the underwing colours are  exquisite. Butterflies really are  Nature's  works of art from start to finish aren't they ....

You have probably gathered by now ... I Love them!