I'm posting this message on behalf of Dave Chandler who sent me a photo taken by his friend, Robert:
"This photograph was taken on Benfleet Downs in South Essex last summer.
My friend & I are curious; how unusual to have the two discalspots on the left fore wing?"
Meadow Brown ab.
- Essex Bertie
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- Padfield
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Re: Meadow Brown ab.
This is ab. tripunctata (Wetherspoon and Wetherspoon, 1952). It is believed to be caused by vibrations from heavy farm vehicles during the pupal stage, resulting in a group of cells slipping sideways and duplicating.
Guy
Guy
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Re: Meadow Brown ab.
A shame no-one's bitten.Padfield wrote:This is ab. tripunctata (Wetherspoon and Wetherspoon, 1952). It is believed to be caused by vibrations from heavy farm vehicles during the pupal stage, resulting in a group of cells slipping sideways and duplicating.
Was this all your own work, Guy, or did you have help?
- Padfield
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Re: Meadow Brown ab.
I merely added some bait, David. It was Bertie who dangled the hook!
Guy
Guy
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The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
- Roger Gibbons
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Re: Meadow Brown ab.
It was a bit of a giveaway that the two ocelli were identical. Presumably one of the Wetherspoons in question had the initials JD.
Roger
Roger