Butterflies I haven't seen

[Danny]

I haven't seen quite a few. But I have seen the Large Blue now. Ones I still have to see are:

Large Heath.
Black Hairstreak.
Berger's Clouded Yellow.
Pale Clouded Yellow (but I think I might have seen this)
Camberwell Beauty
QoS Frit
Chequered Skipper
Mountain Ringlet
British Swallowtail
Large Copper (does it count?)
Long Tailed Blue (in this country)
Small tailed blue
Mazerine Blue
Large Tort

My next target is Swallowtail and Black hairstreak (next year)

What butterflies haven't you seen?

Danny

[Dave McCormick]

Large Copper (suppose it does not count, but I will soon)
Large Tortoiseshell
Pale Clouded Yellow (might have done)
Berger's Clouded Yellow
QOS Fritillary
Mountain Ringlet
British Swallowtail
Any Hairstreak
Large Heath
Any blue except Holly and Common Blue.
Any Fritillary.
Possibly Wall, can't recall.
Any Skipper
Any species of Wood White (In UK and Ireland)
Cardinal
Comma
White Admiral
Northern Brown Argus
Indian Red Admiral (Hardly ever comes to UK, right?)
Pearly Heath
Brimstone
Black Veined White
Bath and Marbled White
Purple Emperor
Scotch Argus
Gatekeeper
Camberwell Beauty

Large list isn't it? Hoping to see Silver Washed Fritillary next year and possibly Grayling this year or was it Wall?

[Danny]

If you're gonna try and see Silver washed, then you'll probably get White Admiral too, me thinks. They're kind of like, friends in the woods.

I'd forgotten about Northen Brown Argus. I haven't seen that either. It never existed when I was a child, then all of a sudden it appeared sometime in the 80s I think. Like the New Romantics.

Danny

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Dave,

Of your list - the following don't occur in the UK:

Cardinal
Indian Red Admiral
Pearly Heath

and the following are extinct:

Large Copper
Black Veined White

As for the rest - some are extremely rare migrants:

Large Tortoiseshell
Pale Clouded Yellow
Berger's Clouded Yellow
QOS Fritillary
Bath White
Camberwell Beauty

The rest you have a chance with

Cheers,

- Pete

[Dave McCormick]

Ok, maybe I do have a better chance now. Was told one time that the Indian red Admiral can occour as a very rare migrant. Don't know where I got that from.

Would like to see a small blue, but in Northern Ireland, no confirmed sighting have been made since 2001 and its last place found, think it might have died out there. No one is sure if its extinct in Northern Ireland yet. There is only two remaining colonies across the border, in Ireland but not many.

[Cotswold Cockney]

Danny excepted ....There appears to be one absentee on those list which makes me think you may have seen it ...

What is the origin~status of the Large Blue populations in UK locaties?

Back in the 1970-80s I was in regular contact with someone who was studying the Large Blues in Sweden and elsewhere with a view to its reintroduction to the UK.

The last time I saw this species in numbers was in a high Alpine valley not far from Zermatt over twenty five years ago.... form obscura if I remember correctly.... flying in company with both large and small Apollos.

[JKT]

I have recent spottings of the Large Blue from above Chamonix and Courmayeur. That was without trying, so there seems to be still a number of them. I do wish the pictures would have turned out better, though.

[Andrew R]

Was told one time that the Indian red Admiral can occour as a very rare migrant. Don't know where I got that from.

Dave, you are right the Indian Red Admiral has been found in areas inclusive of Britain, Ireland and the Channel Islands.

This also applies to the Cardinal.

The sightings have not been for many years but did occur and still could!

Cheers Andy

[Pete Eeles]

Well, if we're going to include all species ever to have been seen in the UK - then we'd have to include:

Fiery Skipper
Mallow Skipper
Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper
The Apollo
Small Apollo
Spanish Festoon
Southern Festoon
Tiger Swallowtail
Scarce Swallowtail
Moorland Clouded Yellow
Cleopatra
Dappled White
Slate Flash
Scarce Copper
Sooty Copper
Purple-shot Copper
Purple-edged Copper
Lang's Short-tailed Blue
Turquoise Blue
Green-underside Blue
The Julia
Albin's Hampstead Eye
Blue Pansy
The Zebra
Small Brown Shoemaker
Indian Red Admiral
American Painted Lady
Scarce Tortoiseshell
Weaver's Fritillary
Aphrodite Fritillary
Niobe Fritillary
Cardinal
Spotted Fritillary
Large Wall
Arran Brown
Almond-eyed Ringlet
Woodland Grayling
The Hermit
False Grayling

...

Of these, I think the American Painted Lady is the most justifiable

Cheers,

- Pete

[Andrew R]

Not bad Pete but you missed some out:-

Clipper
Mountain Clouded Yellow
Olive Skipper
European Map
Alcon Blue
Geranium Bronze
Chinese Swallowtail
Brown Playboy

Cheers Andy

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Andy - now I'm intrigued

The Map and Geranium Bronze are on the main species pages of this site, acknowledging their presence in the UK! But I've never come across sightings of:

Clipper
Mountain Clouded Yellow
Olive Skipper
Alcon Blue
Geranium Bronze

Where are these sightings recorded?

Cheers,

- Pete

[Danny]

Ah yes, the Bath White. I haven't seen a British one of those either. As for all the other euro ones......where's the list/info come from Pete? I mean the Cardinal for example, when and where was it seen in the UK?

I wonder if there are any wet/rain loving butterflies that might like to try the UK out over June.

Danny

[Dave McCormick]

Never heard of clipper or Alcon Blue in UK. I'd know them when I seen them, but what? Also, forgot Monarch if we are playing this game. Yes the European Map was one too, I have seen it though, bread them.

[Pete Eeles]

where's the list/info come from Pete? I mean the Cardinal for example, when and where was it seen in the UK?
Danny

Hi Danny - it comes from "The Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland" by Maitland Emmet and John Heath.

Cheers,

- Pete

[David Tipping]

I'd forgotten about Northen Brown Argus. I haven't seen that either. It never existed when I was a child, then all of a sudden it appeared sometime in the 80s I think. Like the New Romantics.

Danny

I've been making enquiries recently after I entered a photo of a Northern Brown Argus in the June competition and its identity was queried. So far as I'm aware the Northern Brown Argus has always been present in Scotland and Northern England as far south as Yorkshire and Lancashire.

As I understand, the problem is it cannot be visibly distinguished from the Brown Argus - a genetic test is needed. This, coupled with the spread of Brown Argus to the North and the possibility of hybridization, makes the situation somewhat confused.

I think it is probably fair to say that the further north the butterfly is sighted, the better the chance it is a true NBA.

[sandraandkevin]

Sandra and I have about 7 uk ones to go.

A challenge for anyone out there.

I would like to see High Brown. Is it too late and if not where can I go and see it by travelling from Hertford and back in a day. Unable to stay over.

I have 2 weeks off from next week. Hope the weather fairy is kind to us.

[Matsukaze]

Alcon Blue in Britain - I recently saw a mention of this when I happened across a copy of Jeremy Thomas' book on Dorset butterflies, where he was discussing old records of the Large Blue in the county. It seemed that the Large Blue had been recorded (dubiously) on some heath or similar unsuitable habitat in the county, and a previous author had put forward the idea that it might have been a misidentified Alcon Blue. There was no actual evidence that it ever had occurred.

The butterfly occurs to this day on the French Channel coast, so vagrancy in the past is not out of the question.

[Dave McCormick]

Thats intresting. Alcon and Large blues look very similar. Also I suppose that some of those signthing "Clipper" for one, could have been from bread stock or accidently introduced?

[Pete Eeles]

Sandra and I have about 7 uk ones to go.

A challenge for anyone out there.

I would like to see High Brown. Is it too late and if not where can I go and see it by travelling from Hertford and back in a day. Unable to stay over.

I have 2 weeks off from next week. Hope the weather fairy is kind to us.

Hi Kevin (and Sandra!),

I don't think you're too late. I've personally managed to get from my house (near Reading) to Arnside Knott and back in a day. Not only do you get to see High Brown Fritillary, but you can also call in at Meathop Moss for Large Heath. At Arnside you should also see Northern Brown Argus (but without the white spots), although it's a little too early for Scotch Argus. You just need to head off early

The alternative sites I'd recommend would be in Devon - although I've not personally been there.

I think the population in the Malvern Hills is pretty small, so no guarantees on seeing them.

Cheers,

- Pete

[eccles]

There is an actively managed colony in Alun Valley near Bridgend. I have emailed the South Wales Wildlife Trust that manages the site enquiring about it but not yet had a reply. It shouldn't be too difficult to get to in a day via the M5 and M4.