Help with IDs please

[colincurry]

I am asking for both help and a little forebearance here.

We have just returned from a trip to the Spanish Pyrenees and some of the insects shown might be European mainland as opposed to Great Britain - although many insects are pan European.

We did not really have time to study the local books and my own books are not the greatest - to be remedied by Christmas presents.

Grateful for any help and aware of the WAB expertise in these matters

1



2



3



4



5



6



7



8



Thanks

Colin

[poschiavanus]

5 & 8 are nymphs & adults of the Firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus which has a toe-hold in Britain. Pretty common in continental Europe close to Lime trees and Mallows. I've recently seen it in Austria.

6. A tiger moth of some kind, but dont know any with the cream coloured ruff.

7. I think trying to do Orthoptera from elsewhere in Europe is asking for trouble: there are loads more species. Fauna Europea gives 35 taxa of Orthoptera for Britain and 341 for the Spanish Mainland.

Can't place the other leps.

[poschiavanus]

A closer look suggests that 1 & 2 is either a very worn, or unusual colour, form of the Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas, and that 3 is probably a Speckled Wood. The strong shadows in the latter photograph obscure a lot of the hind wing markings.

4 is a Skipper of some kind, closest I can get is one of the Grizzled Skippers.

[poschiavanus]

Tentative suggestion for 5. is Cymbalophora pudica although most photos show more white ground colour than yours. See these examples on Flickr.

[colincurry]

Thanks a lot for your help.

Colin