Hi I came across this egg inches from several Brown hairstreak ones during a BrH egg search (181 eggs to date 2017.18) at Gait Barrows Lancashire on 1st November 2017. Distincly different pattern to BrH which I have recorded in Bucks/Oxon over many years. Any help much appreciated. Tom Dunbar Myster...

Hi Laura
BC Cumbria would love to have details of your September Duke sighting. tomdunbar@sky.com

9U6A0922.jpeg Hi Guys Oblique photo makes this one tricky. Upperwing 3rd space could possibly be interpreted as HBF but.....? Underwing silver dot with brown halo (ringed by me) - again poor photo leaves it unclear. This is important as was reported by visitor by email on Lancashire BC reserve wher...

Mystery plant.jpg Large Heath habitat.jpg Hi Having recorded Large Heaths at 3 sites here in Cumbria in recent days (more to come when the rain stops), I am very aware of the attached plant (photo) always being present amongst the colonies. It's not the normal larval foodplant referenced for LH in ...

Thanks guys, very helpful. And such a quick reply. Thank you.
Tom Dunbar

Small Pearl id Warton Crag.jpg This 'Small Pearl' posted yesterday on BC Lancashire sightings page. Small and Pearl are regularly on site - Warton Crag. Checked everywhere but eyestrain now! No underwing photo unfortunately which would have been a doddle. Eagles today!! (FA Cup) ID help greatly app...

Hi David
Like you I have never seen the empty space in a Dark Green. Using Pieters technique should confirm it with or without the 3rd dot.

Thanks

High Brown upperwing on knapweed 2015 Holme Stinted Pastures C.jpg Thank you guys for your help. You have confirmed by initial judgement in the field. I returned to the same site today Friday in the hope of locating another High Brown. I had a Dark Green immediately on arrival and despite being ver...

I had late sightings of possible High Brown/ Dark Green frits yesterday at one of my regular sites here in Cumbria. The one posted here is a very worn individual, hardly surprising at this stage in the flight season. I managed to positively id (underwing) a separate DGFr but this second Large Frit t...

The researchers found that female butterflies of the species learn to prefer males with four spots on their forewings over those with two spots. Interesting extract. Some thoughts spring to mind: What were the criteria for defining prefer during the research ? -was it tolerate their presence? / pre...

Hi all Thanks for all you interesting comments and contributions. Perhaps the jury is still out on this one although Guy's and other's suggestions certainly provide further food for thought. However can we offer evidence based on our observations to support the claims made in the literature about ho...

Hi there You can safely assume that Marbled Fritillary is not now resident at Finemere and as mentioned elsewhere hasn't been so for 2 years. It's local to me and at the time didn't ring any bells for me personally. The assumption here was that it was a captively bred release and may have been put d...

Thoughts on Arboreal Butterfly Feeding As lepidopterists we are fortunate in the UK in having the benefit of a rich source of literature going back many generations to support and inform our many endeavours in the field. In my early days South's Colour Identification to British Butterflies was a wo...

I came across the discussion on the recent 'A Very British Obsession' tv programme. I found the programme refreshing in its lighthearted but well thought-out approach to a serious subject - brave souls indeed Matthew and Neil putting their heads on the chopping-block. Thanks Julian for your well bal...