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Brown Argus DSC_4895

Brown Argus / aricia agestio, *(Peak District race). Longstone Edge, Derbyshire. 06/07/16.

 

I was delighted to get good views of this Peak District variety of the Brown Argus. A persistent breeze made for challenging macro photography but determined efforts rewarded me with a couple of reasonable record images.

 

The identification of a specific Peak District race/population has been the subject of much debate. Opinion varied as to whether it should be regarded as a Northern Brown Argus or a Brown Argus. Eventually, genetic research confirmed it to be a variety of Brown Argus.

 

Derbyshire holds small, discrete populations of this tiny butterfly. The small black spots are present on the forewings, but edged with variable amounts of white. The Derbyshire colonies favour sunny, sheltered dales, hillsides and old quarries containing unimproved limestone grassland where Common Rock Rose grows.

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Uploaded on July 10, 2016
Taken on July 6, 2016