News Items

From the publisher: Butterflies are one of the world's most beloved insects. From butterfly gardens to zoo exhibitions, they are one of the few insects we've encouraged to infiltrate our lives. Yet, what has drawn us to these creatures in the first place? And what are their lives really like? In this ground breaking book, science journalist Wendy Williams reveals the inner lives of these "flying flowers" - creatures far more intelligent and tougher than we give them credit for. The Language of Butterflies reveals the critical role they play in our world.. Click here to read the review.

Congratulations to Simon Carder, overall winner in the 2020 UK Butterflies Annual Photography Competition! With a wonderful 'in context' photo of a Marbled White, Simon wins a copy of Britain's Butterflies. Click here to see all of the winning entries.

From the publisher: In the last fifty years our butterfly populations have declined by more than eighty per cent. Josef H. Reichholf takes us on a journey into the wonderful world of butterflies and immerses us in a world that we are in danger of losing forever. Step by step he explains the science behind this impending ecological disaster, and shows how it is linked to pesticides, over-fertilization and the intensive farming practices of the agribusiness. His book is a passionate plea for biodiversity and the protection of butterflies. Click here to read the review.

An incredibly insightful article, 'Of Derbyshire New Skies, an Old Pit-tip and Mazarine Blues', from the late Martin White is now available here. As the Postscript concludes: 'a genius butterfly breeder and unique individual'.

The UK Butterflies 2020 Photography Competition is now open for entries! In keeping with the online nature of the UK Butterflies website, the competition itself will be conducted entirely over the web. The competition closes on November 30th and the winning photos will be announced in early December. Click here for information on how to enter.

From the publisher: This easy-to-use identification guide to the 280 species of butterfly most commonly seen in Australia is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High-quality photographs from Australia's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habitat and habits. The user-friendly introduction covers the rise of butterflies, pest and pollinators and the life cycle of butterflies. Also included is a checklist of the butterflies of Australia. Click here to read the review.

From the publisher: A comprehensive and beautifully designed photographic field guide to the butterflies of Britain and Ireland. Containing hundreds of stunning colour photographs, this extensively revised and updated new edition covers in detail the identification of all 59 butterfly species that breed regularly, as well as four former breeders, 10 rare migrants and one species of unknown status. The easy-to-use format will enable butterfly watchers - beginners or experts - to identify any species they encounter. Click here to read the review.

From the publisher: A wondrous enigma, the Purple Emperor is our most elusive and least-known butterfly. Matthew Oates became captivated by the Purple Emperor following his first sighting as a boy. He has studied it assiduously ever since, devoting his life to trying to unravel the Emperor's secrets. Not so long ago, our knowledge of the Emperor was largely based on a blend of mythology and assumption. This book dispels the fabrications and reveals all about the Purple Emperor - the king of British butterflies. Click here to read the review.

The globally endangered Large Blue butterfly has been successfully reintroduced at Rodborough Common in Gloucestershire in efforts to halt the worldwide decline of this special insect. The project marks the largest ever reintroduction of Large Blues in the UK with 1,100 larvae released on the 351 hectare (867 acre) site last August after five years of preparing the commons for their return. An estimated 750 butterflies successfully emerged on the site this summer.

As reported on Twitter, Will Langdon made the incredible discovery of a (hatched) egg batch and old larval skins of the Large Tortoiseshell at Portland. This puts to rest, once and for all, the question of whether or not this rare migrant is once again breeding on our shores.

This video is the fourth in a series of episodes produced for UK Butterflies TV, each looking at the autecology of the different species of butterflies found within the British Isles. The series also aims to interview those individuals who have made significant contributions to the conservation of each British butterfly species, in an attempt to capture, for posterity, their stories told in their own words.

This new article by Peter Andrews documents the history of the Large Copper in Britain. In doing so, it provides unpublished information from the journals and correspondence of J.C. Dale and also provides an account of the discovery of the batavus subspecies in Holland and its introduction to Britain.

This video is the third in a series of episodes produced for UK Butterflies TV, each looking at the autecology of the different species of butterflies found within the British Isles. The series also aims to interview those individuals who have made significant contributions to the conservation of each British butterfly species, in an attempt to capture, for posterity, their stories told in their own words.

This presentation is the 'extended edition' of a presentation describing the Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies, which has been delivered at several events, and was due to be delivered several times more in 2020.

This presentation was originally prepared for the UK Butterfly Recorders' Meeting in March 2020, but which was cancelled due to the coronavirus. The presentation asserts that there is much we can do in terms of recording immature stages, and that this data can be used to ultimately inform conservation efforts.

From the publisher: This beautifully illustrated field guide covers caterpillars of the moth and butterfly species that are most likely to be encountered in the British Isles. The comprehensive introduction covers how to study caterpillars and provides a window into their diverse natural histories, while the species accounts cover status, field characters, similar species, habitat, foodplant and field notes, and are accompanied with up-to-date distribution maps. Click here to read the review.

From the publisher: This book presents a readable account of butterfly behaviour, based on field observations, great photographs and the latest research. The main focus is on courtship and mating - including perching, searching and territorial behaviour. There have been exciting discoveries in all of these fields in recent years, including: butterfly vision, wing patterns, wing colouration, mating strategies and female choice. Click here to read the review by Harry E. Clarke.