The Morality of Netting Butterflies.

[Andrew Cunningham]

Hi all,

Recently, I spent a fortnight in Cyprus, it was rather frustrating having quite a few butteflies fly past or refuse to settle long enough for an identification.

It makes one think how expensive it is to come home missing a few species.

That brought the idea of netting butterflies with whatever specialist nets there are on the market so I could get a look at the specimen and possibly take a photograph before releasing it unharmed.

I understand a few scales could be lost or even the butterfly seriously injured by aggressive netting. It would probably need gentle sweeping strokes to catch a butterfly safely.

I am relatively new to butterflies having only casually been interested for about ten years now. I have never seen a butterfly enthusiast with a net in life but believe I have seen pictures of some people doing it in literature or on the television.

My question is what are the issues surrounding such netting processes at home and abroad?

Regards,
Andrew.

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Andrew,

Some species are protected by law, and can't be disturbed. See:

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/reports_law.php

In general, I personally have no problem with careful netting for ID purposes. I know that several nature reserve wardens do this when ensuring a correct ID for recording purposes.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Martin]

While taking photos of Silver-studded Blues last week I saw 4 men with nets...3 were after moths (they were together) and the other was after dragonflies. It got me thinking, the result of which I have vowed never to use a net. The thought of even slight damage to a butterfly goes against the grain for me. Wardens and scientists are one thing, but risking damage just to get a photo or a tick in a book is not on.

All this is my own personal opinion of course.

Martin.

[Pete Eeles]

I agree with this sentiment - I certainly wouldn't want netting to be seen as "the norm". In fact, the idea of mass use of nets would really worry me. In fact, whenever I come across someone with a net, my initial reaction is that the owner is up to no good.

I guess I'm coming from the angle of, as you say, wardens, scientists, field trip organisers - who need to ensure they're gathering correct information, or want to point something specific out to a group. But even field event organisers who use a net always ask those present if there are any objections. And if there are - the net isn't used.

Cheers,

- Pete

[JKT]

In fact, whenever I come across someone with a net, my initial reaction is that the owner is up to no good.

Oh dear, the net is pretty much standard equipment, when I'm out. It does not see much use these days, but I carry it nevertheless.

[eccles]

I have a pretty good zoom capability on my Canon S3, and it's even better with the 1.5x teleconverter. I can snap a butterfly from around 10 feet away and get good enough resolution to identify it on the screen afterwards. Admittedly this won't work with all species but it suffices for most purposes and is easier than netting.

[Cotswold Cockney]

I have a pretty good zoom capability on my Canon S3, and it's even better with the 1.5x teleconverter. I can snap a butterfly from around 10 feet away and get good enough resolution to identify it on the screen afterwards. Admittedly this won't work with all species but it suffices for most purposes and is easier than netting.

That's all well and good if the subject is stationary particularly in the UK where there are few species. However, a fast flyer which does not stop can be impossible to correctly identify without the use of a net. Even then it can be difficult particularly outside the Uk in pastures new....

Those who brand somebody who carries a net or a shotgun as suspicious should reserve judgement.

Some of the finest conservation work over many years has been instigated by collectors and shooters of wildlife. Sir Peter Scott who I met when schoolboy comes to mind and there are many others.

[Andrew Cunningham]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies so far.

I already had concerns about any damage I might cause, however slight, but, aren't there modern nets specifically designed so soft they would not cause any harm if used correctly?

I must admit, I would find it difficult to use a net myself but do sometimes wish I had one in frustrating chases of some butterflies that make me want to scream to the heavens.

There is the problem of unidentified butterflies being netted. How do you know you are netting a protected species illegally when the identity is unkown. Bit of a minefield that is possibly best steered clear of.

Cheers,
Andrew.

[Bryan H]

Hi Andrew

I think that netting a butterfly, even if no physical harm comes to it, is quite a dramatic intervention as it goes about its business.

If it's wardens or trained volunteers etc for the purposes of identification in support of monitoring vulnerable species and so on, then okay. The intention and the hope is that this will benefit the species in the long term.

If it's merely to gratify the 'needs' of individual enthusiasts such as many of us, then no. This is when inquisitiveness turns into acquisitiveness. 'I would like to know, I can know' becomes 'I must know, I will know'.

On those particular days I think we need to trudge home gracefully, and just wonder what it might have been.

Bryan

P.S. If this had made sense, can you please explain it to me in the morning

[Martin]

Hi Andrew

I think that netting a butterfly, even if no physical harm comes to it, is quite a dramatic intervention as it goes about its business.

If it's wardens or trained volunteers etc for the purposes of identification in support of monitoring vulnerable species and so on, then okay. The intention and the hope is that this will benefit the species in the long term.

If it's merely to gratify the 'needs' of individual enthusiasts such as many of us, then no. This is when inquisitiveness turns into acquisitiveness. 'I would like to know, I can know' becomes 'I must know, I will know'.

On those particular days I think we need to trudge home gracefully, and just wonder what it might have been.

Bryan

P.S. If this had made sense, can you please explain it to me in the morning

My sentiments exactly... put much more eloquently!

Martin.

[Dave McCormick]

I would not net butterflies myself, except for identification purposes and same goes with moths. If I cannot tell what it is from a far, I would net it, find out and release it again. No harm done.

"Capturing" butterflies and moths and not releasing them or killing them, I am strongly against. Only dead set specimins I have are from old collections and butterfly farms that gave me their dead species.

[Martin]

net it, find out and release it again. No harm done.

How can you be sure of that?

Martin.

[Padfield]

I watched and photographed butterflies from the age of 7 to 42 without ever using a net. I never lamented the insects I missed and was entirely on the side of the 'no netters'.

However, I reluctantly came to the conclusion last year that if I was to contribute seriously to the knowledge of the distribution of certain species in the Alps - notably Pyrgus and Erebia species - I would have to increase my percentage on these groups. I bought a net and have used it sparingly this year. My policies are:

Never net a courting couple, or a laying female.
Always release the butterfly within minutes, after keeping it in the shade in its box (almost all butterflies become docile in a matter of seconds).
Always release the butterfly at exactly the same location it was netted.
Never catch a butterfly before sundown or at some other time when it might not be able to regain the body temperature to find an appropriate roost.

I always examine the box afterwards to see if any damage was done (scales, appendages, signs of body fluids &c.) and so far the boxes have been absolutely pristine and the butterflies have flown off completely unharmed. Indeed, they often hang around for some time on the box itself, warming up, demonstrating perhaps that they don't regard the apparatus as a threat.

The advantages of netting are:

Precise identification of tricky species.
Avoiding trampling the vegetation in pursuit of a butterfly.
Providing proof of identity of rare species.

This dusky grizzled skipper (Pyrgus cacaliae) was quite happy to stay with me a while after giving up its name and number, as was the large blue below it (which I netted to check for mountain alcon blue):




It doesn't always work, though. I am still unsure of the identity of this little friend, who was very happy indeed with his new home and preferred sunning on it to being put on a flower (the object in the box is an anther, not part of the butterfly!):



I am certainly not a twitcher. I have been vegan for 25 years and never learned to drive because of my hatred of what cars do to the countryside. Thus, I would suggest not judging 'netters' too harshly. Some of us use nets as part of a respectful and compassionate study of our declining natural heritage.

Guy

[Martin]

Guy,
If I were to pick a person to do the netting for research it would be you. You are so "into" butterflies that you have my total respect...crikey, you've probably forgotten more about b/flies than I'll ever know. Like I said before, in the right hands I don't have a problem with it...it's the twitcher mentality that grates.

Martin.

[Padfield]

I'm flattered, Martin!

To be honest, the one thing that does bother me about using the net is others seeing me and drawing the wrong conclusions, or perhaps some sensitive soul being saddened on his or her country walk at the thought of free creatures being imprisoned.

It is very heartening how much respect for butterflies, individually and collectively, contributors to this website show.

Guy

[Dave McCormick]

What I do in an area, is take a notepad with me and if I can't tell what species is or get a pic, I catch it and write down what I see (if I know what it is), then let it go. I have made a lsit of all the butterflies in my area and only ever caught a holly blue to tell what it was. I then let it go.

I would, if area is being destroyed for some reason, (like a old glasshouse area beside my house as its dangerous) take the caterpillars out and butterflies and moths and move them to a sutible habitat not to far away. I saved an elephant hawkmoth caterpillar, some yellow underwings and a small white and 80 caterpillars of White ermine which surviced and are now breeding in my garden.

These are all safe now. (I would not recommend this, unless you know you can).

Some species need to be netted to tell whay they are such as the Small Autiman, Autimal and November moths as they need genetalia to tell what they are.

I would not net mating species as they are easy to approch and photo anyway. Glad digital photography has advanced so well, you don't need to net butterflies much anymore.

Hmm... this post is important and people need to know around the world what to do. I will post information on this on my website which is near finished.

[Martin]

Some species need to be netted to tell whay they are such as the Small Autiman, Autimal and November moths as they need genetalia to tell what they are.

But why do you "NEED" to now what they are?

Martin.

[Dave McCormick]

Not in U.K., but different Grayling species are almost identical such as the "rock" and "Tree" graylings and need to be looked at closer.

Not many in U.K. need to be netted, except those moths as I have been told that moth image I took of one of those 4 species, Small Autiman, Autimal and November moths cannot really be identified without genatilia look.

You don't actually need to net them, but if you like to ID them properly, this is sometimes the case.

[Martin]

I give up!

Martin.

[Padfield]

You don't need a net for rock graylings: you can lure them with beer!



Martin's point is absolutely right, though, and we deceive ourselves if we think otherwise. For the most part, we don't need to identify butterflies. We want to. This is our pursuit, our sport, our passion. Even the most gentle of us go out there like hunters and come home pleased (or otherwise) with our bag. It is good to remember this when in the field.

The insect's biological imperative to make full use of its brief moment of glory - perhaps its one week in its single summer of life - must rank way, way above our 'need' to identify it. This is not to anthropomorphise, just to respect.

Guy