Geranium Bronze in Winchester

[Part timer]

A Geranium Bronze appeared in our Winchester garden today (and may even still be there). 21st garden species of the year and 31st since we have been living here. Anyone know of any previous records of Hampshire?

[Padfield]

Great sighting!

That looks to me like a female with a tummyful. Bring out your geraniums, sprinkle them with holy water and offer them to her.

Guy

[Pete Eeles]

Bring out your geraniums, sprinkle them with holy water and offer them to her.

[David M]

These are likely imported on pelargoniums, but unlike in Mediterranean regions, they won't be able to complete their life cycle in the UK.

This is how this species has gained a (seemingly) permanent foothold in warm, coastal areas of southern Europe.

The same is possibly true of Monarchs, which have been happily ensconced in the Canary Islands and southern Spain for many years now.

[Padfield]

These are likely imported on pelargoniums, but unlike in Mediterranean regions, they won't be able to complete their life cycle in the UK.

This is how this species has gained a (seemingly) permanent foothold in warm, coastal areas of southern Europe.

The same is possibly true of Monarchs, which have been happily ensconced in the Canary Islands and southern Spain for many years now.

True - they couldn't survive the winter outside a greenhouse, but they could easily get a generation in before then if we get a warm autumn. And then there's the greenhouse option ... (probably illegal - I'm not necessarily encouraging it).

Guy

[bugboy]

If she goes about laying fertile eggs then there's more than just one on the loose in Winchester

[Part timer]

Well she is still there this morning and unlikely to be going anywhere soon given the considerably less than Mediterranean temperatures at the moment!

Thanks for all your responses and suggestions . We do indeed have a few geraniums and pelargoniums in the garden, all of which she has thus far ignored in favour of the small patches of wildflower meadow in our lawn, currently dominated by origanum vulgare. We do also have a small lean-to greenhouse (but I'm envisaging hordes of nurserymen with the remnants of their crops battering at my door and avoiding the temptation for now ...... ).

[Pete Eeles]

Incredible sighting, Rupert! She may not, of course, have mated. But if it were me, I'd stick her in a greenhouse with as much Geranium spp. as she could manage

Cheers,

- Pete

[Part timer]

Bit late now, Pete. Sun came out yesterday morning and she was gone (hopefully moved on rather than devoured by hungry spider). Lee did manage to come round and see her beforehand, fortunately.

[Pete Eeles]

Wishful thinking on my part Any idea where she may have come from, Rupert? Notwithstanding your own Geraniums / Pelargoniums? Still - an incredible sighting nonetheless!

I need to pay a visit to my local nurseries / garden centres

Cheers,

- Pete

[Part timer]

No idea at all. Just had lunch in the garden, there was a small white flying around the buddleia, and I noticed something smaller with it, which landed in the uncut area of lawn, which we keep primarily to attract butterflies. I assumed common blue, which we get regularly, but went to check it out anyway and called it as long-tailed blue at first. Sharron went for the cameras while I kept tabs, but it proved quite compliant, not moving further than the patches of oregano for the rest of the afternoon.
Even my 91 year old father in law was impressed, as were the 2 young girls from next door when we showed them and explained its rarity!
Next morning I found it quite easily roosting on a flowerhead - I went out for a while later, the sun came out and it had gone by time I came back. Nearest garden centre is a couple of miles away, so your guess is as good as mine.

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks Rupert - great story! It's fascinating hearing the backdrop to such incredible events!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Lee Hurrell]

Thank you, Rupert, for letting me come over and see her - what a privilege!

I know the garden centre you mean; I will pop in there tomorrow and have a closer look at their Geraniums!

Best wishes,

Lee

[Pete Eeles]

A quick trawl of the materials I have access to gives the following sightings:

1997 at Lewes, East Sussex.

1998 at Lewes, East Sussex (believed to be the offspring of the above).

1999 or 2000 from a garden in the Winchester area (identified from a photograph submitted to the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust).

A larva reported on 22nd December 2001 at Little Paxton, Huntingdonshire produced an adult indoors on 24th February 2002. It should be noted that this record was associated with British-propagated Pelargonium plants, and was therefore the first British record of this species not attributable to direct importation.

2002 in Cambridgeshire.

One on 10 September 2006 at Highcliffe, Hants.

Gwithian, West Cornwall, 13th August 2006, in a garden. Believed to have been imported with Pelargonium plants from Spain.

One on 13 October 2007 at Hill Head, Hants.

One was seen in a garden at Porchfield, IoW, on 16th August 2010.

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

I also recall one being reported from Liverpool in August 2013 on this very site:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7041&p=75374#p75366

[William]

I remember one in Somerset last year, and a search for it on twitter turned up a few more from the last couple of years.

Devon:https://twitter.com/clennonvalley/statu ... 7113272320

Dorset: https://twitter.com/aeshnagrandis/statu ... 4282831872

Kent: https://twitter.com/BurnessPb/status/10 ... 0878197761

Somerset: https://twitter.com/ncurrywildlife/stat ... 6026901506

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks David and Will!

Peasmarsh, Sussex (2013): https://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/album_p ... p?id=16231

Kent (2018): viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4108&p=138781&hili ... ze#p138781

Cheers,

- Pete

[Allan.W.]

I also reported the Kent Geranium Bronze ,caught by a chap ,a couple of miles up the road from me in 2018,
See "sightings" October 22nd 2018. Allan.W.

[Old Wolf]

I need to pay a visit to my local nurseries / garden centres

Hello Pete, I would be very interested to know whether you, or anyone else has had any success looking in garden centres and nurseries.

[PhilBJohnson]

1977
"We had several visits from MAFF to assess the potential of the species as a threat to the horticultural trade."
With continued human population growth and urbanisation of the United Kingdom, many had become gardeners of "sterile" hybrid flowers, selected for flower or flowering characteristics, which had replaced many of our weeded native species, meaning fewer native butterflies which depended on those less spectacular native plants.
If the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are so concerned about the horticultural trade, I don't want to see any employees taking free Geraniums (or other retailed flowers as gifts) for their actions.