Life Cycles of British and Irish Butterflies

[MrSp0ck]

Now i have a signed copy thanks to Pete at AES today im enjoying reading it great photos of the early stages, it was great to see a few of the less known facts about Glanvilles have been mentioned in the text too. The mixture of instar larvae occurs before hibernation as well, and ive seen an earlier instar larva hibernate with the correct instar larvae in the hibernation web, and have one more instar in the spring. The summer temp in the scrapes at Hutchinsons Bank was over 55 oC this July, far too hot, and it even mentions in hot conditions they retreat into the shade as larvae, which one web of ours did, and turn up on 3rd August as a 2nd Brood, the other web 15ft away spun a hibernation web and as normal will hibernate, the positions of the 2 webs and conditions couldnt have been much different, but the slightly warmer web produced the adults, we thought there may be a 2nd Brood as February was very warm, and the summer was. The 2nd Brood larvae are just spinning the hibernation web, we were worried they wouldnt get to the size before the weather turned in November. So in March there will be a mixture of the 2 generations in the same scrape. Also noted is that webs will merge if in the close proximity of others, one hibernation web is the size of a coconut. They larvae prefer to pupate in a multi pupa cocoon, a few pupae have been found in a glove on the IOW inside the fingers. ive seen 30+ pupae in the same cocoon of lightly spun silk. So most of the things i have seen over the last 9 years of monitoring are catored for in that species text. It was named the Dulwich Fritillary at one point by petiver in 1717 before the IOW colonies were known from colonies seen when he visited Addington area in 1717, he also found the first UK White Admiral [West Wickham] and continental Swallowtail [Addington]that year on his visits, his death in early 1718 stopped any more records from this area.

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks Martin - and everyone for their kind comments.

Due to unanticipated demand, the book is going to have another print run, with the potential for minor (and I mean MINOR) corrections before going to print. This will mean correcting the 3 deliberate typos that we included Seriously - if anyone has spotted any errors then do please let me know ... pete@ukbutterflies.co.uk.

And thanks for all of the kind comments on various media - I've been collecting them on the book website: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com/feedback/

And a special thanks to those that have taken the time to submit their reviews on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1874357889 - these are very much appreciated (and you can submit a review, even if you didn't purchase the book from Amazon) ...

Cheers,

- Pete

[NickHull]

Just a note - Re: Orange-tip
I have noticed the 5th instar, prior to crawling-off to pupate, goes down and feeds on the leaves of the Garlic-mustard, rather than the seed-pods. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this behaviour?

[bugboy]

Just a note - Re: Orange-tip
I have noticed the 5th instar, prior to crawling-off to pupate, goes down and feeds on the leaves of the Garlic-mustard, rather than the seed-pods. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this behaviour?

Now you mention it I was monitoring a few I found at work this year and I did notice that they moved onto the leaves in their final instar. It's been many years since I've reared some so I can't remember if they did this in captivity.

[PhilBJohnson]

Just a note - Re: Orange-tip
I have noticed the 5th instar, prior to crawling-off to pupate, goes down and feeds on the leaves of the Garlic-mustard, rather than the seed-pods. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this behaviour?

Garlic-mustard remains such a good plant for surveying butterfly life cycles. In a garden I saw Large White, Small White, Green-veined White and Orange Tip butterflies use it. From seed in first year, it can produce lovely, inviting, big green leaves and in Second year "bolts" to produce attractive flowers to the Orange Tip butterfly, which it finds in sunlight, at that specific time of the day. Garlic-mustard likes dampish areas (keep it watered) and was often naturalised on a north facing side of a hedge.
The seed was easily collected in July or August.
Nick, I haven't seen a final instar Brimstone (White family) caterpillar use Garlic-mustard, having dropped from an alder buckthorn
Pete, I hope my original print version of your book, is a scarce collectors item by now.
Kind Regards

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks for the insight, Nick - and the comments from Paul and Philip!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Sij]

It's a classic already!"

[Pete Eeles]

It's a classic already!"

Thanks Simon - much appreciated!

Cheers,

- Pete

[KeithS]

Just a note - Re: Orange-tip
I have noticed the 5th instar, prior to crawling-off to pupate, goes down and feeds on the leaves of the Garlic-mustard, rather than the seed-pods. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this behaviour?

I usually raise a few every year, but have always kept them on stems of seed pods stood in water, without leaves. The 5th instar larvae seem quite happy to munch on the pods until they crawl off to pupate on the roof of the cage. If I raise any this year, I’ll stick a few leaves in to see what happens!

[NickHull]

[Sij]

Just a note - Re: Orange-tip
I have noticed the 5th instar, prior to crawling-off to pupate, goes down and feeds on the leaves of the Garlic-mustard, rather than the seed-pods. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this behaviour?

I usually raise a few every year, but have always kept them on stems of seed pods stood in water, without leaves. The 5th instar larvae seem quite happy to munch on the pods until they crawl off to pupate on the roof of the cage. If I raise any this year, I’ll stick a few leaves in to see what happens!

I have raised and bred Orange Tips and spent a good while watching them. From what I can gather they only eat leaves if the seed pods are exhausted. Also they are not as canibalistic as people say. I have raised them in density and , as larvae, seen no evidence of cannibalism. However i am sure this occurs with eggs, but from personal observation I have not seen it. This is when reared several to a plant.

[Sij]

Just a note - Re: Orange-tip
I have noticed the 5th instar, prior to crawling-off to pupate, goes down and feeds on the leaves of the Garlic-mustard, rather than the seed-pods. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this behaviour?

Hi, I think you have the ID confused. I believe the lower two larvae are, in fact, Green veined whites. Which do indeed feed on leaves.

[bugboy]

Just a note - Re: Orange-tip
I have noticed the 5th instar, prior to crawling-off to pupate, goes down and feeds on the leaves of the Garlic-mustard, rather than the seed-pods. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this behaviour?

Hi, I think you have the ID confused. I believe the lower two larvae are, in fact, Green veined whites. Which do indeed feed on leaves.

No, it's definitely an Orange-tip. Amongst other more subtle differences the pale sides and general bluish green colouration indicate this .

[Jack Harrison]

Sij:Also they are not as canibalistic as people say.

I have known them eat younger larvae but that seems accidental rather than deliberate - the poor little fellow just happened to be in the way!

Jack

[Sij]

Just a note - Re: Orange-tip
I have noticed the 5th instar, prior to crawling-off to pupate, goes down and feeds on the leaves of the Garlic-mustard, rather than the seed-pods. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this behaviour?

Hi, I think you have the ID confused. I believe the lower two larvae are, in fact, Green veined whites. Which do indeed feed on leaves.

No, it's definitely an Orange-tip. Amongst other more subtle differences the pale sides and general bluish green colouration indicate this .

Yeah, you're right. I think the colours on those pics might be a bit off and that fooled my tiny brain ha ha I've bred bother GVW and OT, they are both lovely.

[KeithS]

Just a note - Re: Orange-tip
I have noticed the 5th instar, prior to crawling-off to pupate, goes down and feeds on the leaves of the Garlic-mustard, rather than the seed-pods. I wondered if anyone else has noticed this behaviour?

I usually raise a few every year, but have always kept them on stems of seed pods stood in water, without leaves. The 5th instar larvae seem quite happy to munch on the pods until they crawl off to pupate on the roof of the cage. If I raise any this year, I’ll stick a few leaves in to see what happens!

I have raised and bred Orange Tips and spent a good while watching them. From what I can gather they only eat leaves if the seed pods are exhausted. Also they are not as canibalistic as people say. I have raised them in density and , as larvae, seen no evidence of cannibalism. However i am sure this occurs with eggs, but from personal observation I have not seen it. This is when reared several to a plant.

Big ‘uns will eat the littl ‘uns, but only if they happen to be in the way. I have often had a couple of third instar or later caterpillars coexisting peacefully on the same stem. The cannibalism thing seems overstated.

[Ian Pratt]

I watched the video today. Wonderful work and such commitment and passion.

[Vince Massimo]

Back on the subject of Orange-tip larvae and their feeding habits, I have just been watching two 3rd instars in my garden. They are on Garlic Mustard and are not captive. Both have been feeding on seed pods since hatching from their eggs, but today they each moved to a leaf and had a little feed. There are still lots of succulent seed pods on the plants.

Orange-tip #1 (3rd instar) - Crawley, Sussex 7-May-2020

Orange-tip #2 (3rd instar) with leaf feeding damage and frass - Crawley, Sussex 7-May-2020

A few hours later #1 had moved to the top of the plant and was feeding on a seed pod and #2 was resting on a seed pod.

I have also seen 4th and 5th instars feeding on leaves but only for a short while before they move back to seed pods.

Edit: On 10th May two 4th instars were feeding briefly on leaves before returning to the seed pods.

Orange-tip 4th instar feeding on leaf - Crawley, Sussex 10-May-2020

Vince

[Pete Eeles]

Great observations, Vince, as ever!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

I'm a bit late to this party, but I observed the same thing last year with late instar larvae. I photographed this one on 1st June 2019:





She (I called her Tangerine) had been on the seed heads the day before, 31st May, and climbed back up to them on 2nd June:


(31st May)


(2nd June)

Guy