Silver-Washed Fritillary | ObsessedByNature

Common Blue [L’icaro o argo azzurro] (*Polyommatus icarus*) on Lavender beside the swimming pool of the lovely agriturismo farm, Rocca di Cispiano, where we stayed in Chianti. *Species names are shown in English [Italian] and (Latin).*

Pool area: not an obvious place for butterflies, but the clever planting of a Lavender border made all the difference

Scarce Swallowtail [Il podalirio] (*Iphiclides podalirius*), a large butterfly with a distinctive sailing flight, taking nectar beside the pool

Silver-Washed Fritillary [La pafia o Tabacco di Spagna o Fritillaria] (*Argynnis paphia*), a handsome and distinctive species

Tuscan landscape (Chianti): hilltop farms, Vines (bright green rows), Olive trees (blue-gray trees in rows), low mixed maquis (*macchia mediterranea*) forest, Cypress trees on left skyline

Nine-Spotted Moth [La fegea] (Amata phegea) frequently visited the lavender border and other flowers. It was once also found in England; Chris Manley suggests that global warming might allow it to return (a possible silver lining to that cloud).

Brimstone [La cedronella] (*Gonepteryx rhamni*)

Hummingbird Hawkmoth [La sfinge del galio o sfinge colibrì] (*Macroglossum stellatarum*), darting from flower to flower each time just before I managed to focus the little camera …

Bee-fly (neither a bee nor a butterfly) half-hovering to take nectar, making a particularly loud buzz

Meadow Brown [La Giurtina o Maniola comune] (*Maniola jurtina*)

Red Admiral [L’atalanta] (*Vanessa atalanta*). It has a chunk out of its right hindwing, showing it survived an attack.

The enormous, fearsome, but non-aggressive Mammoth Wasp, [La vespa mammuth] *(Megascolia maculata), on Wild Artichoke. Presumably its sting would be serious but I can’t find any record of people being stung by this peaceful insect.*

A Mammoth Wasp visiting a potted Hottentot Fig, with a wide view of the Tuscan landscape

Oak Yellow Underwing Moth (Catocala nymphagoga) on shower beside pool

The bushes by the pool attracted this Southern White Admiral [Il Silvano azzurro o Piccolo silvano] (**Limenitis reducta**)

Swallows [La rondine] (Hirundo rustica) swooping over the pool at sunset. Many pairs nest in the farm buildings; there were two active nests inside our porch.

Perfect butterfly habitat a short walk from the agriturismo: meadow grass by Olive groves with Scabious (blue) and St John’s Wort (yellow). There’s a tiny Queen of Spain Fritillary in the picture!

Sloe Hairstreak [Satiro dell’*acacia*] (Satyrium acaciae)

Swallowtail [Il macaone] (Papilio machaon); this one at Brolio castle, but there were many near the agriturismo too

Queen of Spain Fritillary [La latonia] (Issoria lathonia) on Scabious

Clouded Yellow [La crocea, La limoncella, Il postiglione] (Colias croceus) pair in nuptial flight

Marbled White [La galatea] (*Melanargia galathea*)

Probably Eastern Burnet Moth [La carniolica] (Zygaena cf carniolica) on Scabious.

Zygaena cf carniolica taking flight. The brilliant red underwings give a strong and honest warning signal of the insect’s inedibility.

Eastern Dappled White [L’ausonia] (Euchloe ausonia)

Olive Grove and Spanish Broom. Butterflies skittered about the flowery meadow below the trees.

Wall Brown [La megera] (Lasiommata megera)

A lizard, probably the Common Wall Lizard [Lucertola muraiola] (Podarcis muralis) given its dark chin, scurried along the wooden rail at the edge of the pool area.

A very battered Oak Yellow Underwing that has survived an attack by a bird

Great Banded Grayling [Circe, Satiro circe, Sileno] (Brintesia circe)

Dingy Skipper [Tagete] (Erynnis tages). There were Large Skippers about too, but their habit of perching on slender waving grasses made photography hopeless.

Painted Lady [La **vanessa del cardo**] (Vanessa cardui)

Spotted Fritillary [La didima] (Melitaea didyma)

Some rather fine wasps apparently attempting to mate

Although it was a bit late in the season for them, we saw half-a-dozen fireflies in the woods by the strada bianca (unmetalled road) and among the olive trees, half an hour or so after sunset.

I made no attempt to photograph birds, but a Hoopoe flew over the pool, and Turtle Doves cooed nearby. A Cuckoo called from far across the valley; a Song Thrush sang; a Green Woodpecker gave its laughing cry. White Wagtails flew up to the roof, and Italian Sparrows hopped about. Goldfinches twittered in the trees. A Sardinian Warbler raced for the cover of the trees, its black crown conspicuous; a Melodious Warbler sang from the woods. In the night, an owl called, it could have been a Scops Owl. And of course, Cicadas buzzed and Bush Crickets chirped all day long.