Here are 39 photos of, as the headline suggests, 22 different wildflowers, at least two species of butterfly, a trio of moths and a small assortment of insects observed during a three-hour hike near the village of Saint-Dalmas, in the Valdeblore commune in southeastern France. One from that trio, a Transalpine Burnet Moth, is above.

The heatwave that baked much of Europe into last weekend didn’t spare the highlands, and was acutely felt even at elevations above 1500m in the southern French Alps where we headed with the intention of partially escaping the heat. Temperatures that reached the low 30s C sidelined us from a planned hike on Saturday (27) to the Millefont Lakes and Mont Péperi, an eight kilometer loop in Mercantour National Park that would have left us entirely exposed to the sun for at least six hours (we will try again in the autumn), so we opted for the Chemin du Bois Noir, or Black Forest trail, a largely wooded walk that begins near Saint-Dalmas to the peak of Collet du Puei and back. With that came a wide palate of early summer colors, freshly capped by a brisk but strong rain. And quite a few photos I was happy with.

Photos from 27 June 2026; Elevation for the photos below ranges from about 1200m at Saint-Dalmas-de-Valdeblore to 1334m at the Collet du Puei.

Three moths…

Most moths fly at night. Here are three examples that do not. The colors and patterns of the first, from the Genus Zygaena, were breathtaking.

(At least) Two Butterflies..

The first is a ringlet (apologies for the blur). Below that are five shots from the genus Melitaea which I’m not remotely experienced enough to differentiate. The first I think may be a Spotted Fritillary, but corrections and insight are encouraged and greatly appreciated.

22 Wildflowers..

IDs are in the captions, mostly double-checked with iNaturalist and a pair of European wildflower fieldguides. Again, corrections are welcome.

.. And an assortment of insects.

IDs, as best that I could manage, are in the captions. There are more than 900 species of bees in France. Can anyone help with this one?

The trail?

It’s actually a narrow gravel road, that begins just south of the village of Saint-Dalmas in the commune of Valdeblore. This scenery is pleasant, a mix of (mostly) wooded areas and meadow with plenty of attractive vistas of the mountains to the north. To help with your bearings, see the map below.

Photos from 27 June 2026.