April 2020

[David M]

Interesting stuff, fellas. We seem to get this every year but then can't follow it up with larval stages.

Still, it must be thrilling to see this majestic species on home shores.

[MrSp0ck]

With the Surrey Camberwell [Mar 25 Camberwell Beauty 1 Ash Mike Clifford] it seems the survivors from last August are appearing, although we have a gust of warmth from the south too at the moment may add to them.

[Neil Hulme]

And a Scarce Tortoiseshell seen in a Newhaven garden today, reported by one of the most skilled and reliable butterfly watchers I know. It sat on his leg for a while!
BWs, Neil

[Padfield]

Wow! and wow!! to the last two posts. I checked on a logpile in local woods today (on my government authorised dog-cycle) on the offchance of a newly awakened scarce tortoiseshell, but unsurprisingly drew a blank.

One good thing to come out of the lockdown, however long it lasts, is that we will get a comprehensive inventory of everything in everyone's gardens. Instead of crossing the country to the same old wood for the same old rarity, everyone will be pacing up and down their patio all day. Providing we all submit our records, it could give an unparalleled snapshot of the real status of common, as well as uncommon, butterflies.

Guy

EDIT - I missed the large torties on the previous page, so add another wow!

[Jack Harrison]

Large Tortoiseshell, Scarce Tortoiseshell, Camberwell Beauty: I thought we had left the EU. Surely the electorate voted to keep out foreigners? The next thing will be an influx from the Mediterranean – Painted Ladies and Clouded Yellows. This cannot be allowed to continue

Jack

[David M]

No exotics, sadly, but there were 9 different species flying at Kilvey Hill on Saturday 4th.

Brimstone 6
Orange Tip 3
Small White 2
Peacock 2
Comma 2
Holly Blue 1
Large White 1
Speckled Wood 1
Small Tortoiseshell 1

[badgerbob]

I've just had a Large Tortoiseshell just around the corner from my house in Seaford. Quite a good exercise walk today!!

Large Tortoiseshell. Seaford.

[Matsukaze]

Orange-tip! Orange-tip!

[David M]

I've just had a Large Tortoiseshell just around the corner from my house in Seaford. Quite a good exercise walk today!!

Wow! If 'staying local' brings joys such as this, I'll happily do it for another 6 months!

[Chris L]

I see the earlier Wows ! and raise you another Wow ! Large Tortoiseshell, Camberwell Beauty and 9 different species from David.

I managed 6 today. Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Comma, Peacock, my first Speckled Wood of the year and my first Small White of the year (thank you David for your help with the identification).

[Neil Hulme]

And another Large Tortoiseshell reliably reported from a Lancing (West Sussex) garden today!
There must have been a significant influx last July/August.
BWs, Neil

[Allan.W.]

And yet another (Large Tort ) photographed in an east Kent coastal garden (Nigel Jarman ………...Twitter ) today + another in Brighton (?) Regards Allan.W.

[Deborah]

A very chilled Orange Tip male, a Holly Blue. and two male Brimstones... No exotics but a lovely Spring day nonetheless.

[Vince Massimo]

Yesterday, 6th April, the first of the Brown Hairstreak eggs hatched on my potted Blackthorn. I rescued 50 or so in January and returned most of them to the wild in March, but held a few back in my garden.

Brown Hairstreak larva hatching - Crawley, Sussex 6-April-2020

Last year the first eggs started hatching on 10th April, while in 2018 it was on 18th April.

Vince

[badgerbob]

2 years ago Pete asked me if I had any photos of a Wall larvae in the stage where it prepares to pupate. Of course I hadn't, but it gave me the excuse to try rearing a single one at home as I thought that would be the only way I could help Pete out.
Strangely, that year I did actually find 2 in my normal area the day after the one I brought home had started to change.
The one I had at home turned into a pupa 5 days later.

This year I thought I would try the exercise again, and that was before the lockdown, so it was just a bit of luck really that I did this, although I always prefer to do everything in the wild.

This year my larva started to turn on April 2nd. This morning I checked it and it was still in the same phase, but being 5 days in this state I had a brief look this afternoon and I noticed a little change. I then saw a bit of movement so I quickly got the camera and was lucky to witness in the next 18 minutes the larva struggle out of its original skin and quickly turn into a pupa. One of the most amazing things I have witnessed, and so lucky I checked it when I did, although a few minutes earlier would have been even better as by the time I started to photograph it it had already escaped out of the old skin and head.

A selection of images follow showing the change in those few minutes.

Wall larvae 2nd April 2020.

Wall pupating 7th April 2020

As you can see, up to the final image the old skin and head case is still attached to it. A few minutes later the final image the old skin and head case had fallen away.

2 years ago the pupa became a butterfly 29 days later.

[David M]

Superb, Bob. Amazing footage and very interesting statistics.

[Padfield]

Nice work, Vince and Bob.

On the theme of early stages, I have been experimenting with a UVA flashlight (note: UVB or UVC would probably damage or kill caterpillars) at night to see if any caterpillars are more visible like that. In particular, I hoped it might be possible to spot white-letter hairstreak larvae under elm leaves at night. So this evening, after photographing the supermoon, I checked out some unfurling elm leaves and lo and behold! A white-letter hairstreak larva - and yes, it did look distinctly whiter than the leaves and was easy to spot. I think this might be an more reliable way of finding them than by day, but I will continue experimenting.

These photos were taken under ordinary flash, but at night - not very easy!! I had to use manual focus, set at 5cm, illuminate the caterpillar with my iPhone while holding the leaf spray, and move in until I thought it was in focus:





It appears to be a newly moulted third instar cat - its old skin is at its tail.

For info, I chose a flashlight with an adjustable beam, so it can be focused for searching higher leaves or left broad for lower ones. It cost under £10.

Guy

[David M]

Fascinating, Guy. I only wish I had WLH colonies nearby so I could do likewise.

[David M]

Cwm Ivy today saw 40 or so Holly Blues. The habitat is paradise for them:

Other species seen were:

Brimstone 10-12
Orange Tip 8
Peacock 6-8
Speckled Wood 6-8
Comma 2

[bugboy]

A mosiac gynandromorph Orange-tip was found at Bookham today, this year of all years