White-letter ab.
- greenanrol
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:37 pm
White-letter ab.
I photographed a White–Letter Hairstreak in Bedford Purlieus (Cambs) which is an aberration.
I can’t seem to find any info of it in books or on the web, anyone any ideas on this one?
Cheers
Greenanrol
I can’t seem to find any info of it in books or on the web, anyone any ideas on this one?
Cheers
Greenanrol
- Mark Tutton
- Posts: 461
- Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:21 am
- Location: Hampshire
Re: White-letter ab.
What a great sighting -well done.
I can't find anything similar in Cockayne, Russworm etc. but Pete will probably have the best insight.
Kind Regards
Mark![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I can't find anything similar in Cockayne, Russworm etc. but Pete will probably have the best insight.
Kind Regards
Mark
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
The wonder of the world, the beauty and the power, the shapes of things, their colours lights and shades, these I saw. Look ye also while life lasts.
Re: White-letter ab.
It's an unusual one for sure.
Thanks for posting the image.
Thanks for posting the image.
- Trev Sawyer
- Stock Contributor
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- Location: Cambridgeshire
Re: White-letter ab.
I can't find an ab. pallida in the Cockayne collection, but would have thought that might be a likely candidate?
Bedford Purlieus has an excellent population of White-Letter Hairstreaks and there is a good photo of an ab. albovirgata from the same venue 5 years ago on the Cambs and Essex BC webpage: see 4th July on this page... http://www.cambs-essex-butterflies.org. ... ul2010.php
Trev
Bedford Purlieus has an excellent population of White-Letter Hairstreaks and there is a good photo of an ab. albovirgata from the same venue 5 years ago on the Cambs and Essex BC webpage: see 4th July on this page... http://www.cambs-essex-butterflies.org. ... ul2010.php
Trev
- Pete Eeles
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Re: White-letter ab.
Fantastic find! It's not a named aberration according to the definitive text, Goodson and Read. The White-letter Hairstreak abs. are small in number and are all documented here:
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/aberrati ... es=w-album
Cheers,
- Pete
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/aberrati ... es=w-album
Cheers,
- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
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- Neil Hulme
- Posts: 3598
- Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 8:27 pm
Re: White-letter ab.
Wow!
Congratulations. That's very different, and well worth naming!
BWs, Neil
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
Congratulations. That's very different, and well worth naming!
BWs, Neil
Re: White-letter ab.
What a fantastic find, it's beautiful as well Goldie ![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: White-letter ab.
Fabulous!!! Thanks for sharing.
- greenanrol
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:37 pm
Re: White-letter ab.
Thanks for your replies everyone,
A case of right place at the right time!
It looked a totally different WLH when I first saw it - really light in colour. My heart was in my mouth until I managed to get a pic of it! It was flitting around on different flowers until it settled enough to get a pic, even then it was off after about a minute!
Greenanrol
A case of right place at the right time!
It looked a totally different WLH when I first saw it - really light in colour. My heart was in my mouth until I managed to get a pic of it! It was flitting around on different flowers until it settled enough to get a pic, even then it was off after about a minute!
Greenanrol
Re: White-letter ab.
Fantastic - well done. It's hard enough finding any WLH close up never mind an aberration of one
ATB
Peter
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
ATB
Peter
My website: http://www.stevenagebutterflies.co.uk
Re: White-letter ab.
I wonder if this is an example of leucism? I have seen examples in birds but it can occur throughout the animal kingdom.
According to Wikipedia: "Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy colouration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin"
There is an example of a leucistic Small Copper from Holland, shown at https://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2015/0 ... el-island/
It would be interesting to know if the brown colour seemed to be missing from the upperside of the wings as well - perhaps visible in flight?
Mike
According to Wikipedia: "Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy colouration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin"
There is an example of a leucistic Small Copper from Holland, shown at https://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2015/0 ... el-island/
It would be interesting to know if the brown colour seemed to be missing from the upperside of the wings as well - perhaps visible in flight?
Mike
-
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- Location: Kent
Re: White-letter ab.
MikeOxon wrote:I wonder if this is an example of leucism? I have seen examples in birds but it can occur throughout the animal kingdom.
According to Wikipedia: "Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy colouration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin"
There is an example of a leucistic Small Copper from Holland, shown at https://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2015/0 ... el-island/
It would be interesting to know if the brown colour seemed to be missing from the upperside of the wings as well - perhaps visible in flight?
Mike
Fantastic image of a very unusual WLH.
As Mike has suggested, it does have that Leucistic look about it.
I came across a Leucistic adult Slow Worm in 2012, captured some nice images of that too
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Going to the other extreme, i have also sighted/photographed Melanistic(black) Adder and Common Lizard.
Cheers Paul.
- Pete Eeles
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Re: White-letter ab.
I'm not so sure. The pale colouring is specifically targeting the otherwise-normal-orange/red band. I'd say this is more like a schmidtii Small Copper. Perhaps this should be named ab. alba.
Cheers,
- Pete
Cheers,
- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
- greenanrol
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:37 pm
Re: White-letter ab.
My first thoughts when finding this butterfly was it had very similar colours to a Small Copper schmidtii
I was also thinking along the lines of a name - something to do with albino, being so pale, so alba seems a good choice of name.
A good description of the differences from ‘type’ – underside ground colour a significantly paler shade than normal; the usually orange area along the rear margin of the underside hind wing, adjacent to and above the tails is off-white.
Can I therefore name it as Satyrium w-album ab. alba (WYLDES 2015) ?
Thanks
Greenanrol
I was also thinking along the lines of a name - something to do with albino, being so pale, so alba seems a good choice of name.
A good description of the differences from ‘type’ – underside ground colour a significantly paler shade than normal; the usually orange area along the rear margin of the underside hind wing, adjacent to and above the tails is off-white.
Can I therefore name it as Satyrium w-album ab. alba (WYLDES 2015) ?
Thanks
Greenanrol