Le Sylvandre

Last weekend, I returned to the Forêt de Fontainebleau, south of Paris, with the specific aim of finding a Woodland Grayling, or Sylvandre as it is known in French.  This is one of a complex of three, virtually identical and very variable species which can only be confidently separated by examining their genitalia.  Back in 2021, I thought I found one in Modane yet this species has yet to be confirmed in the area so it is much more likely to be an atypical Swiss Grayling, which is common there.  Woodland Grayling, however, is the only one which occurs as far north as Paris, although it is far from common and mainly flies in late July and August.  After three hours of hiking through the forest, I had seen hundreds of Gatekeepers but not a glimpse of a grayling and had already given up hope when one suddenly floated across the track.  After an exclamation of relief followed by a brief chase, it first landed on the sandy track and then moved to a nearby post so I could finally get my first, definite photo of one.  Compared with my 2021 photo, it is much more mottled and the inner edge of the white band is more curved, both features used to help to tell it from Swiss Grayling without having to resort to a magnifying glass.