I have recently had the opportunity to observe parts of the lifecycle of the Speckled Wood very closely, which has led me to produce the following notes. I would stress that I am not suggesting I am an expert on this subject and whilst some of the observations contradict accepted information, I am not advancing any theories or drawing any conclusions. All observations were made in the wild and are supported with photographs.
The first observation was made at Broadfield Pond, Crawley, Sussex on 24th April 2009, were I watched as a Speckled Wood female oviposited on grass. She visited three different clumps, which were in full sun, and on each occasion laid a pair of eggs rather than the usual singleton. (EDIT: I observed another pair of eggs being laid in a shady location at a site known locally as Madeira Walk, Woldingham, Surrey on 13th June 2010).
- Speckled Wood ova 24-April-2009
Then, on 1st November 2009, here in Caterham, Surrey, whilst checking if my shed roof was still attached to the walls, following overnight gales, I discovered a Speckled Wood pupa suspended under a rafter, approximately 1.7m above ground. It had chosen a well-lit and well ventilated position (the roof was of clear plastic sheeting and there was an open gap at the eaves), in an outbuilding which was on the north side of the house.
- Speckled Wood pupa 1-Nov-2009
This is a very unusual location because larvae generally pupate on or around the foodplant or on woody stems close to the ground. I did however find another report on the Upper Thames Branch website where Martin Harvey found a pupa approximately 1.2m above ground on the trunk of a Silver Birch tree in Bernwood Forest, Bucs on 14th February 2010. He also recognised that this was an abnormal place to find a pupa and speculated that the unusual behaviour of the larva may have been due to it having been parasitised. This concerned me at the time because it was something I had not considered.
I checked my pupa regularly over the winter, spraying it occasionally with a fine mist of water. I noted that in 2009 my first sighting of an adult Speckled Wood was on 1st April, but by that date this year there was still no sign of imminent hatching. Then, on 12th April, I noticed a very faint colour change along the upper edges of the wing area of the pupal case. I then took the decision to move it out of the shed in order that I could monitor it more easily and also to protect any emerging adult from the increasing number of spiders webs that were encroaching on its location. I carefully chiselled a sliver of wood from the rafter and stuck it to a piece of paper towel which I suspended from a stick and put the attached pupa in a cool conservatory.
- Speckled Wood pupa 13-April-2010
Over the following days the wing cases darkened as the wing colours began to show through, followed by a darkening of the abdominal area.
- Speckled Wood pupa 15-April-2010
- Speckled Wood pupa 17-April-2010
On 18th April 2010 many people reported their first sightings of Speckled Wood in Southern England. Mine also hatched during that morning. It was a lovely female which I took to a sheltered spot in the garden and watched as she dried her wings and eventually made her maiden flight, but only after allowing me to take some photographs.
- Speckled Wood female (newly hatched) 18-April-2010
- Speckled Wood female (newly hatched) 18-April-2010
If anyone has any comments or can add to these observations, these would be welcome, because I suspect that other behavioural variations may well have been observed but not reported.
Cheers,
Vince
