September 2009 Sightings

[Dave McCormick]

1 Large White Caterpillar pupating on my postbox

That's not a Large White larva - they don't pupate head down attached only by the cremaster (as you know!). Looks more like a Red Admiral that can't find a decent bunch of nettles

Cheers,

- Pete

Actually it is a Large White, here is another shot I just took, to prove it:

LW Caterpillar

unless it got parasited, its pupating in a J shape which as you said, is unusual!

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks Dave. Hmmm - if it's "girdle" has snapped there's the possibility that it will drop to the deck as it pupates

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

"Extinct" butterfly just seen in my Cambridgeshire garden for the second time this week. Comma

Jack

[Zonda]

It's not extinct, even i knew that.

[Jack Harrison]

There were so many "extinct" butterflies in my garden today that I didn't know which one to photograph

I guess this is probably the end of this topic!

Jack

[Zonda]

lol

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks Dave. Hmmm - if it's "girdle" has snapped there's the possibility that it will drop to the deck as it pupates

Cheers,

- Pete

I looked today and did not see it, so I looked up and saw brachnoid wasp cocoons, guess it was parasited happened to quite a few large white caterpillars in my garden.

[Piers]

Saw a spearmint fresh female Small White today on the Dorset coast which had been duly accosted by a rather ragged male. I assume that this female was a third brood specimen.

Also plenty of Large White larvae that were nearing pupation, together with several egg batches.

Felix.

[Jack Harrison]

I am considering a visit to North Norfolk next week – weather forecast is good. Have there been any reports yet of 3rd brood Walls anywhere in England?

I saw a courting pair of Small Coppers on Friday at Cavernham Heath, Suffolk, the male fresh in both of the word. Presumably 3rd brood.

Jack

[Dave McCormick]

Saw 2 Male Speckled Wood and a female speckled wood today along with one Small Tortoiseshell looking ragged and worn and one Red Admiral. Also one Gold Spot moth and around 10+ Silver Y Moths and a tortrix moth I did not get around to identifying yet.

[vawn]

2 tortoise shell together not fighting

[Zonda]

This morning i came across a field full of flowering clover, sainfoin, birds foot trefoil, and an occasional thistle. There was not one butterfly in evidence. Not even a white.
I visited two nature reserves also, and saw loads of S woods, and whites.
I returned home shattered, and on next doors buddleia there were two small torts, and a pristine Red Admiral.

[Lee Hurrell]

Well done on the Comma Zonda

I'm in Somerset for this week and the weather is just lovely. Plenty of Speckled Woods, Commas, Small Tortoiseshells, 2 Red Admirals, 1 Peacock, a female Brimstone and Large and Small Whites since yesterday.

There seems to be a wide variation in Comma colouration, varying from normal 2nd brood to resembling Hutchinson's and a VERY dark individual where a lot of the brown marks on the wings are replaced with black. Photos to follow.

Cheers

Lee

[Zonda]

Thanks Lee, all i want now is a Clouded yellow to round off the season.

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Lee, all i want now is a Clouded yellow to round off the season.

You and me both, I haven't seen one this year.

A few from Somerset:

'dark' comma

'dark' comma

'dark' comma

'pale' comma - Hutchinson's?

normal comma

This female seems to have some extra yellow patches on the outside of the forewing

The red seems to have 'bled' a bit on this one

My first Brimstone of the autumn

NB - none of the photos have been altered for colour, just cropped.

Cheers
Lee

[SteveA]

Apparently Heath Fritillaries are on the wing again at Little Haven EWT reserve. There are a few images on the Essex Birdwatching Society Website, see below link

http://www.essexbirdwatchsoc.co.uk/

[Charles Nicol]

i did not have to go far to see this Red Admiral this morning:

it was sitting on the hedge in front of my windscreen where i park !!

none of the other residents had a butterfly as far as i could see... it must have known that i was a fan

charles

[Mark Senior]

Third brood Wall Browns are emerging at Ouse Estuary NR Newhaven , 1 seen Thursday and 2 on Friday . A new hatching of Clouded Yellows also with 5/6 seen on Thursday ( sunny ) but just 2 on Friday ( cloudy ) .

[Jack Harrison]

Apparently Heath Fritillaries are on the wing again at Little Haven EWT reserve

I've just been there and met fellow butterflier Rob Smith. We saw no Heath Frits. The weather was perfect, the (albeit, small) habitat looked good.

We found what I think were shrivelled up Cowwheat plants. If the i/d was correct, no hope of any larvae surviving on those.

Jack

[Perseus]

Hello,

20 September 2009
On an energy sapping humid morning, both hoverflies and butterflies were active around one large clump of Ivy on the Pixie Path (near the NW corner of Frampton's Field, Old Shoreham) and it was a flash of orange I saw first which I thought was a Comma, but it turned out to be one of five pristine Painted Ladies and a Red Admiral seen immediately followed by a Comma Butterfly seen in less than a minute.

Twelve species of butterfly were seen in an hour of looking on Mill Hill and its approaches, including two Wall Browns, three male Adonis Blues, a Clouded Yellow and a Small Copper.

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2009.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2009.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: September 2009
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Sept2009.html