How to Use this Website

Loire Valley Nature is designed to be used as an English language natural history web resource for lowland central France. It uses Blogger software for its easy accessibility, but it is not written as a blog ie as a periodical record of events or thoughts like a diary. Pages can be added or updated at any time, and publishing will be dated in a way that makes the site easy for us to manage, but is not relevant for the reader.

The website comprises different types of pages, which form a network, linking one to another so you can drill down to the specific information you need. Please note that we have deliberately chosen to open all links and photos in a new page, so if you find this annoying or confusing, please just get into the habit of closing each page as you exit. We decided to go with new pages for everything because otherwise it can be difficult finding a page from earlier in your research, and in identifying species, you often have to compare information and photos on different species account pages. The back page function can be used, but can also be confusing.

Why is the website called Loire Valley Nature, when in fact, the area it is concerned with does not actually cover the entire Loire Valley?

We decided to call it Loire Valley Nature because we felt it was a name people not so familiar with the area might search for. Strictly speaking, the area covered is the Touraine, Berry and part of Poitou, or the modern administrative départments of Indre (36), Indre et Loire (37) and Vienne (86), but these are names not all of our readers may know. The website covers an area which is within the central southern boundaries of the Loire Valley in its broadest sense, ie all the rivers within the area are tributaries of the Loire and feeding into the Loire Valley system. The three départements together make up a total area of 20 000 km². In Australian terms, this is ten times the Australian Capital Territory, or one-tenth the size of Victoria. In British terms, it's the same size as Wales. Scattered across the area are many small villages and towns but the only city with a population over 100 000 is Tours. Within this area the main focus is on the relatively well known wetland of the Brenne and the lower half of the Claise River valley, as it crosses the southern tip of the Touraine.

Geomorphically, we are on the southern edge of the Paris Basin, just before the land starts to rise into the Massif Central. This is lowland central France, mostly less than 100 metres above sea level (masl). The area is situated in the heart of western Europe, but is home to a surprisingly high level of biodiversity and many rarities due to its position on the northern and eastern edge of the range of Mediterranean, Turkish and Iberian species and similarly, it is on the southern edge of the range of northern European species.

The soil is mostly calcareous, often with a high clay content, but there are pockets of sand. The land is used for broadacre farming with many mixed farms and large areas of woodland, both deciduous broadleaf and conifer. The riparian and wetland habitats are of international importance, with numerous rivers and streams. Of particular note are the many man-made fish lakes, known as étangs, forming the Brenne, France's third most important wetland (after the Camargue and the Marais Poitevin). Less well known are the dry limestone butts, called éperons, which host a noteworthy assemblage of plants, including many orchids, adapted to very calcareous soils. There are also remnant pockets of heathland.

The most useful general guide to the area is the Crossbill Guide to the Loire Valley, reviewed by us here.

If you are interested in other aspects of the Loire Valley, Brenne and Touraine, you might like to read our daily blog, Days on the Claise or book an excursion with Loire Valley Time Travel. To see our range of nature walks and workshops, please click on the page tab above. You can email us by clicking on our profile links to the right. Please note that we always respond to emails within 48 hours, so if you do not get a response, please check your spam folder or get in touch via the Loire Valley Time Travel contact page.

Site Index Quick Links
Several groups are organised primarily through their species list, so if you are looking for a particular species, go to the list first. Orchids currently have the most complete set of species accounts, but there are a number for the early emerging species of butterflies, dragonflies and other plants and insects.

Dragonflies:
Species List
Species Accounts (please access via the Species List above)

Butterflies:
Species List
Species Accounts (please access via the Species List above)
Butterfly Surveying in France

Moths:
Tigers Arctiidae
Footmen Arctiidae
Thorns Geometridae
Eggars Lasiocampidae
Owlets Noctuidae
Prominents Notodontidae
Emperors Saturniidae
Pine Processionary Thaumetopoea pityocampa Thaumetopoeidae
Burnets Zygaenidae

Flies:
Dasypogon diadema - a robberfly Asilidae
March Flies Bibionidae
Beeflies Bombyliidae
Dark-edged Beefly Bombylius major Bombyliidae
Anthrax anthrax Bombyliidae
Blowflies Calliphoridae
Thick-headed Flies Conopidae
Snipeflies Rhagonidae
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus Syrphidae
Migrant Hoverfly Eupeodes corollae Syrphidae
A hoverfly Xanthogramma citrofasciatum Syrphidae
Drone Flies Eristalis spp Syrphidae
Parasitic Flies Tachinidae
Common Cherry Fruit Fly Rhagoletis cerasi Tephritidae
Craneflies Tipulidae

Bees:
Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius
Common Carder Bumblebee B. pascuorum
Early Nesting Bumblebee B. pratorum
Buff / White Tailed Bumblebee B. terrestris / lucorum
Garden Bumblebee B. hortorum
Mason Bees Osmia spp
Mining Bees Andrena spp
Nomada spp (parasites of Andrena spp)
Sweat Bees Halictidae
Honey Bees Apis mellifera
Violet Carpenter Bee Xylocopa violacea

Ants:
A Carpenter Ant Camponotus vagus

Beetles:
Ground Beetles Carabidae
Golden Bloomed Grey Longhorn Agapanthia villosoviridescens Cerambycidae
Fairy Ring Longhorn Beetle Pseudovadonia livida Cerambycidae
Spotted Longicorn Chlorophorus glabromaculatus Cerambycidae
Lesser Bloody Nosed Beetle Timarcha goettingensis Chrysomelidae
Bloody Nosed Beetle T. tenebricosa Chrysomelidae
Poplar Leaf Beetle Chrysomela populi Chrysomelidae
Weevils Curculionidae
Chafers Scarabaeidae
Churchyard Beetle Blaps mucronata Tenebrionidae

True Bugs:
Assassin Bugs Reduviidae
Broad Headed Bugs Alydidae

Other Insects:
Caddis Flies Tricoptera
Field Cricket Gryllus campestris
Saddle-backed Bushcricket Ephippiger ephippiger Tettigoniidae
Mayflies Ephemeroptera
Sawflies Symphyta
Gall Wasps Cynipidae
Great Potter Wasp Delta unguiculatum

Mammals:
Species List
Species Accounts (please access via the Species List above)

Birds:
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Great Tit Parus major

Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
Crows Corvidae
Grebes Podicipedidae
Rails Rallidae
Herons Ardidae
Swifts, Swallows and Martins
Common Eurasian Crane Grus grus

Fish:
Carp Cyprinus carpio

Reptiles & Amphibians:
Green Frog Group Pelophylax spp
Agile Frog Rana dalmatina
Common Toad Bufo bufo

Orchids:
Species List
Species Accounts (please access via the Species List above)
Useful Reference Books and Websites
Annotated Map to help you find orchids in the area
Identify your orchid, a collection of thumbnail photographs showing you which orchids are in flower each month.

Other Plants:
Lesser Water Plantain Baldellia ranuculoides (Alismataceae)
Hawkweeds Hieracium agg (Asteraceae)
Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara (Asteraceae)
Common Knapweed Centaurea jacea (Asteraceae)
Garden Asparagus Asparagus officinalis
White Asphodel Asphodelus albus
Purple Gromwell Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum
Rampion Bellflower Campanula rapunculus
Nettle-leaved Bellflower C. trachelium
Broomrapes Orobanche spp
Black Bryony Tamus communis
Box Buxus sempervirens
Butchers Broom Ruscus aculeatus
Hairy Rockcress Arabis hirsuta
Dames Violet Hesperis matronalis
Carduncellus mitissimus
Common Columbine Aquilegia vulgaris
Cowslip Primula veris
Brookweed Samolus valerandi (Primulaceae)
Water Violet Hottonia palustris (Primulaceae)
Cyclamen Cyclamen hederifolium (Primulaceae)
Daisy Bellis perennis
Large Blue Alkanet Anchusa italica
Common Globularia Globularia vulgaris
Bugle Ajuga reptans
Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea
Greater Star of Bethlehem Ornithogalum umbellatum
Lousewort Pedicularia sylvatica
Common Fumitory Fumaria officinalis
Black Pea Lathyrus niger
Grape Hyacinth Muscari neglectum
Dogs Mercury Mercurialis perennis
Milkworts Polygala spp
Field Woodrush Luzula campestris
Sedges Carex spp
Spike Rushes Eleocharis spp (Cyperaceae)
Rushes Juncus spp
Milk Parsley Peucedanum palustre (Apiaceae)
Sanicle Sanicula europaea (Apiaceae)
Marsh Pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris (Apiaceae)
Fine Leaved Water Dropwort Oenanthe aquatica (Apiaceae)
Speedwells Veronica spp
Common Vetch Vicia sativa
Tufted Vetch V. cracca
Common Dog Violet Viola riviniana
Pale Dog Violet V. lactea
Sweet Violet V. odorata
Wild Pansy V. tricolor
Wormwood Artemisia absinthium
Common Lime Tilia x europaea
Stinking Iris Iris foetidissima
Yellow Iris I. pseudacorus
Long-leaved Crimson Clover Trifolium rubens
Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre
Bog Pimpernel Anagallis tenella
Common Bladderwort Utricularia vulgaris (Lentibulariaceae)
Heath Lobelia Lobelia urens (Campanulaceae)
Marsh St Johns Wort Hypericum elodes (Clusiaceae)
Medlar Mespilus germanica (Rosaceae)
Wild Plum Prunus domesticus (Rosaceae)
Oaks Quercus spp
Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa (Fagaceae)
Pondweeds Potamogetonaceae
Common Reed Phragmites australis
Bur Reeds Sparganiaceae
Bent Grasses Agrostis spp
Verbena Verbenaceae
Water Plantain Alisma plantago-aquatica (Alismataceae)
Small Yellow Foxglove Digitalis lutea (Scrophulariaceae)
Eyebrights Euphrasia agg (Scrophulariaceae)
Corncockle Agrostemma githago (Caryophyllaceae)
London Plane Platanus x hispanica (Platanaceae)
Water Crowfoot Ranunculus (Batrachium) spp (Ranunculaceae)
Field Scabious Knautia arvensis (Dipsacaceae)

Relevant links on Days on the Claise:
Days on the Claise is our daily blog about our life in the Touraine and we often write about natural history in some detail there.

Plants
Cowslip Primula veris
Cowslip Primula veris
White Bryony Bryonia dioica
Squirting Cucumber Ecballium elaterium
Field Eryngo Eryngium campestre
Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus
Mistletoe Viscum album
Mistletoe Viscum album
Oak Quercus sp
How to distinguish Early Purple and Green-winged Orchids
Orchids
Orchids in the orchard
Orchids on a limestone ridge
2008 Orchid Report
2007 Orchid Report
Cheddar Pink Dianthus gratianopolitanus
Poplar Populus sp
False Acacia Robinia pseudoacacia
Spindle Euonymus europaeus
Stonecrop Sedum sp
Viola spp
Water Primrose Ludwigia spp

Lichens
Reindeer Moss Cladonia sp

Fungi
Red-capped Scaber Stalk Leccinum aurantiacum
Funnel Cap Clitocybe geotropa
Hedgehog Mushroom Hydnum repandum
Morel

Mammals
Bats
Roe Deer
European Brown Hare Lepus europaeus
Mole Talpa europaea
White-toothed Shrew Crocidura russula
Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris
Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris
Short-tailed Vole Microtus agrestis
Wolf
Wolf
Invasive non-native species - Coypu Myocastor coypus and Musk Rat Ondatra zibethicus
Aquatic mammals
Small mammal trails

Birds
Corvids
Eurasian Crane Grus grus
Eurasian Crane Grus grus
Collared Dove
Black Crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Black Redstart
Black Redstart
Black Redstart
Stone Curlew
Swallow
Swallow
Great Tit
Photographing Birds in the Brenne

Reptiles and Amphibians
Snakes
Western Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus
Western Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus
Lizards
Common Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis
Common Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis
Common Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis
Eurpean Pond Terrapin Emys orbicularis
Frogs and Toads
Green Frog group
Common Toad Bufo bufo

Fish
Pike

Butterflies
Clouded Yellow Colias crocea
Glanville Fritillary Melitaea cinxa caterpillars
Glanville Fritillary Melitaea cinxa caterpillars
Glanville Fritillary Melitaea cinxa caterpillars
How to distinguish Knapweed and Glanville Fritillaries
Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis phaphia
Large Blue Maculinea arion
Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus
Provencal Short-tailed Blue Everes alcetas
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Wall Brown Lasiommata megera
Southern White Admiral Limentis reducta
Surveying (April 2011)
Surveying
2010 Report
2008 Report
2007 Report

Moths
Hawk Moths
Broad Bordered Bee Hawk moth Hemaris fuciformis
Hummingbird Hawk Moth Macroglossum stellatarum
Convolvulus Hawk Moth Agrius convolvuli
Fiery Clearwing Pyropteron chrysidiformis
Giant Peacock Moth Saturnia pyri

Dragonflies
2007 Damselfly Report
Common Winter Damselfly Sympecma fusca
Azure Bluet Coenagrion puella
Demoiselles
2007 Dragonfly Report
How to identify Clubtails Gomphus sp
Small Pincertail Onychogomphus forcipatus
Western Spectre Boyeria irene
2008 Report

Beetles
Bee Beetle Trichius zonatus
Rose Chafers Cetonia aurata
Lesser Bloody-nosed Beetle Timarcha goettingensis
Spanish Fly Lytta vesicatoria
Trichodes alvearius
Nut Weevil Curculio nucum
How to identify some common large black beetles
National survey

Bugs
Fire Bugs Pyrrhocoris apterus
Graphosoma italicum

Bees, ants and wasps
Hornets and wasps on pears
Asian Hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax
Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Ophion sp (Ichneumonidae)
Bumble bee survey
Wool Carder Bee Anthidium sp
Violet Carpenter Bee Xylocopa violacea
Honey Bees Apis mellifera
Swarming ants

Flies
Empis tessellata (Empididae Dance Flies)
Villa sp (Bombyliidae Bee Flies)
Spotted Cranefly Nephrotoma appendiculata
Common Cherry Fruit Fly Rhagoletis cerasi
Flutter Fly Palloptera muliebris
Gymnosoma sp (Tachinidae Parasitic Flies)
Tachina sp (Tachinidae Parasitic Flies)
Horseflies (Tabanidae)
Haematopota pluvialis (Tabanidae Horse Flies)
Big-spotted Cleg Haematopota bigoti (Tabanidae Horse Flies)
Hoverflies (Syrphidae)
Milesia crabroniformis (Syrphidae Hover Flies)
Robberflies (Asilidae)
Sepedon sphegea (Sciomyzidae Snail Killing Flies)
Bee Mimics

Other Arthropods
Alderfly Sialis sp
Common House Centipede Scutigera coleptera
Mayflies
Curled Rose Sawfly Allantus cinctus
Scorpion Fly Panorpa sp

Habitat
Biodiversity at Chaumont
Biodiversity in village nature strips
Biodiversity on improved pasture in the Brenne
Biodiversity in the orchard
Biodiversity in the Forest
Biodiversity on sunken lanes
Biodiversity on the river bank
Field Work in the Brenne
Field Work on the roadside
Botany of forest pond margins
Botany of limestone ridges
Improving the Claise River basin
The Loire River
The Forêt de Preuilly
The Brenne
The Brenne Climate
The Brenne Geography
The Brenne History
The Brenne Geology
Management of Fish Ponds
Orchids in village nature strips
Orchids on roadsides
Orchids in the orchard
Lavender
Wildlife Gardening
Insect hotel (Parc floral de Paris)
Fallow Land

Miscellaneous
2010 International Year of Biodiversity
List of suggested Insect Field Guides
List of suggested Botany Field Guides
Suggested Dragonfly Field Guide

Relevant links on Aigronne Valley Wildlife:Aigronne Valley Wildlife is written by friends who live in the next valley.

Plants
Snakeshead Fritillary Fritillaria meleagris
Deptford Pink
Bird's Nest Orchid
May 2004 Orchid Report
Purple Toothwort Lathraea squamaria

Fungi
Wood Blewit
Wood Blewit
The Blusher Amanita rubescens

Mammals
Aquatic mammals
Voles

Birds
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
Eurasian Crane Grus grus
Eurasian Crane Grus grus
Eurasian Crane Grus grus
Eurasian Crane Grus grus
Finches
Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
Kingfisher Acedo atthis
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Long-eared owl Asio otus
Tawny Owl Strix aluco
Little Owl Athene noctua
Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa
Pheasant Fasianus colchicus
Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Chiffchaff
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius
Wryneck Jynx torquilla
Homemade Fat Blocks
March 2009 Report
May 2008 Report

Reptiles and Amphibians
Viperine Snake Natrix maura
Tree Frog Hyla arborea

Butterflies
Camberwell Beauty
September 2006 Report

Moths
Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia

Beetles
Stag Beetle

Flies
Tipula maxima (Tipulidae Crane Flies)
Horseflies (Tabanidae)

Other Arthropods
Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi

Habitat
River water quality
River improvements

Latest Updates:
21 May 2013 Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvae entry updated with links to Roger Gibbons illustrated keys for identifying Pyrgus spp.
11 April 2013 a new entry for Field Scabious Knautia arvensis has been added.
11 April 2013 a new entry for Eyebrights Euphrasia agg has been added.
31 March 2013 a new Habitat entry for Bocage has been added.
25 March 2013 a new entry for Water Crowfoot Ranunculus (Batrachium) spp has been added.