Switzerland, July 2009

Switzerland, July 2008

Switzerland, July 2007

This heath is broadly similar to the closely related pearly heath and Darwin's heath but the white band on the underside hindwing gives a quite different jizz. It reminds me of an ermine border to the butterfly. This species is also generally darker on the underside than either of the other two species. It flies at altitude in the Alps - above 1800m in the mountains near where I live - and may hybridise with Darwin's heath where their ranges and altitudes overlap.