Great Sooty Satyr

(Satyrus ferula)

Male 18/07/04 Spanish Pyrenees

Male 18/07/04 Spanish Pyrenees

Female 08/08/04 Vaucluse (84)

Male 08/08/04 Vaucluse (84)

Female 08/08/04 Vaucluse (84)

Female 27/07/05 Drôme (26)

Female 13/08/08 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04)

Female 13/08/08 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04)

Female 18/07/10 Isère (38)

The Great Sooty Satyr is a large species that likes hot, rocky/grassy places, often at high altitudes. The upperside of the male is a very dark, charcoal colour with two ocelli on each forewing, the upper ocellus being brightly pupilled. The pupils are white which generally avoids any confusion with the Dryad whose pupils are blue. Male undersides have a characteristic light grey band in the discal area which was conspicuous in flight on the well marked butterflies in the Pyrenees. However, males in the Vaucluse were more toned down. The female is a superb butterfly and different altogether; from the underside view there are orange tones on the forewing and beige tones on the hindwing.