Unusual foodplants chosen by garden butterflies
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- Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:48 pm
Unusual foodplants chosen by garden butterflies
In our Leicestershire close there is a glut of all three common whites. As well as laying on nasturtiums, both Large and Small Whites have been laying on night-scented stock - hundreds of eggs so far. Small and Green-veined Whites have also been constantly using water-cress; and I have watched a Green-veined White laying on lobelia. Today a comma laid a number of eggs on the terminal shoots of a variegated pittosporum (Japanese mock orange). I don't want my night-scented stock eaten to shreds! so I've moved the Large White eggs onto cress, where they seem perfectly happy. I wondered if anyone else had witnessed egg-laying , in particular, on stock, lobelia and pittosporum? Perhaps it's a response to the blazing hot weather which is desiccating some of the more usual host plants. Has there been a migratory influx of Large Whites? Any views would be welcome! (Btw if anyone could tell me how to alter Simon-in-Kent to Simon-in-Leicestershire I should be most obliged!)
Re: Unusual foodplants chosen by garden butterflies
I have never seen so many whites, mostly Large Whites - they are laying on Garlic Mustard around here. There have been literally hundreds flying around a small field next to my local pub. They all look fresh but could well be migrants as you suggest.