July 2013

[MikeOxon]

Finally got a Scotch Argus in the frame.

and a nice specimen, too. Funny, I always thought the adjective was 'Scottish', whereas 'Scotch' is a drink. Perhaps the name refers to their favourite nectar.

Your 'rocking' method of focussing is always a good one. With digital, it's always wise to take plenty of shots and pick the best later. I use it a lot on flowers, with which AF finds it hard to decide where to focus and my eyesight is no longer reliable enough either.

Mike

[Jack Harrison]

Mike:

Funny, I always thought the adjective was 'Scottish', whereas 'Scotch' is a drink

I had exactly that discussion yesterday with an 87 year old native Mulleach. He said that the adjective used to be Scotch (and quoted R.L.Stevenson) and that Scots or Scottish is relatively recent. He blamed the English for introducing the word “Scotch” to describe a drink.

Going through my photos, I noticed this one illustrating the odd way in which SAs sometimes they hold their wings with the forewings at a more acute angle than the hindwings. I have never seen this with any other brown (but of course compare the “golden” skippers).



Jack

[MikeOxon]

I had exactly that discussion yesterday

Thank you for the explanation, Jack. I like your latest pic - the pose reminds me of some tropical species.

Mike

[ChrissyM]

This last week has seen lots of activity. Up on the Hermitage (Bridgnorth) I have had two separate sightings of Marbled White which is unusual for Shropshire. A single Hairstreak when I hadn't go my camera! Totally unfamiliar to me it was dark (too dark for Purple) with orange & white markings. I keep watching the same patch but, without success.
Good numbers of Meadow Brown, tatty Ringlets and Gatekeeper.
Thursday this week and there was a new emergence of Common Blue, Brown Argus and Small Copper (lovely, because I was out of the Country for the first brood)

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On the buddleia which has also flowered this week, there has been good numbers of Small Tortoisehell, Peacock & Whites

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Large Whites have also been laying eggs on the Nasturtiums

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It is lovely to be seeing such numbers

[Jack Harrison]

Large Whites have also been laying eggs on the Nasturtiums.........It is lovely to be seeing such numbers

You won't be loving them quite so much when the caterpillars ruin your Nasturtiums.

Jack (where Nasturtiums thrive on the Large White free Isle of Mull)

[ChrissyM]

Large Whites have also been laying eggs on the Nasturtiums.........It is lovely to be seeing such numbers

You won't be loving them quite so much when the caterpillars ruin your Nasturtiums.

Jack (where Nasturtiums thrive on the Large White free Isle of Mull)

I plant the Nasturtiums for them....so they can munch away. They are prettier than slugs

[Jack Harrison]

Ah, slugs. We had been suffering night time an invasions in the kitchen. We could not find how they got in. Anyway, I think we have finally cracked the problem by leaving two 6 watt energy-efficient lights on at floor level.

Jack

[Penhale Paul]

I had a couple of very interesting sightings a few weeks back at Perran/Penhale Dunes, Cornwall. The first came on the 7/713 close to caravan where there is a smallish colony of Silver Studded Blues. The second came from the main colony of Silver Studded Blues within the dunes about fifteen minutes walk from the first sighting and was seen on the 13/7/13. Both are i believe Bilateral Gynandromorph Silver Studded Blue's, one half female and the other half male. From what i gather i was extremely lucky to see one, to see two in the space of six days ................ extraordinary !


DSC_7233_01


Halved Gynandromorph Silver Studded Blue

[Trev Sawyer]

Wow Paul,
They say that things come in threes, so you'd better go and buy a lottery ticket this afternoon. The chances of it coming up trumps must be just about a certainty with luck like you are experiencing
Well spotted - twice!

Edit: Ah, just noticed it was a few weeks ago... Well, you've probably missed your chance to be a millionaire by now (unless you wrote your original post from a laptop whilst sitting on your own personal tropical island).

Trev

[Vince Massimo]

Fantastic find Paul

Would you be agreeable to adding them to the website species database (the Species-Specific Album). If you are not familiar with the process, I can do so on your behalf if you e-mail the images to me at vince@ukbutterflies.co.uk

Regards,

Vince

[vawn]

Butterfly heaven! At last, they're out, in my garden today there's 2 red admirals, 3 large white and a small one, speckled wood is still here and he seems to have company, there's a meadow brown and a great big comma

[Penhale Paul]

Fantastic find Paul

Would you be agreeable to adding them to the website species database (the Species-Specific Album). If you are not familiar with the process, I can do so on your behalf if you e-mail the images to me at vincemassimo@ukbutterflies.co.uk

Regards,

Vince

I have already (a bit late admittedly doh) mailed these to Pete Eeles this morning Vince.

[Padfield]

Both are i believe Bilateral Gynandromorph Silver Studded Blue's, one half female and the other half male. From what i gather i was extremely lucky to see one, to see two in the space of six days ................ extraordinary !

This is, indeed, very rare - so rare the coincidence at least raises the question of whether some external factor was involved, either natural (extremes of temperature) or less natural (pollutants, radiation &c.).

Although this is an amazing find, I'm always saddened to see freaks of nature like this. At least these poor creatures had the good fortune not to be immediately killed and pinned, as would have happened in the past!

Guy

[dilettante]

whether some external factor was involved, either natural (extremes of temperature) or less natural (pollutants, radiation &c.).

Does anyone know when a butterfly's sex is determined? Is it at 'conception' before the ovum is laid, or only during the metamorphosis from larva to adult?

[Padfield]

Does anyone know when a butterfly's sex is determined? Is it at 'conception' before the ovum is laid, or only during the metamorphosis from larva to adult?

Normally, the sex is determined at conception, exactly as in humans (with the slight twist that the female butterfly is XY and the male XX). Bilateral gynandromorphs result from what is essentially a mechanical error in the first cell division after conception, giving rise to one male cell and one female cell. The cells subsequently divide normally but the butterfly is split down the middle. Mixed gynandromorphs arise from division errors later in development.

External factors like temperature are known to have an effect on the frequency of bilateral gynandromorphs in the laboratory. The condition is not inherited and there is no reason to suppose a predisposition to cell division error is beneficial to a species, so if the frequency in a wild population goes up you do have to wonder why ...

Guy

[kevling]

On the way to gatwick for a family holiday in the french alps, we paid a visit to box hill. Lots of species seen with a number highlights.

Silver spotted skippers - next to zigzag road, near broadwoods tower.
Dark green fritillaries (c30) in meadow adjacent to above location and also in happy valley
Silver washed fritillary (c15) - happy valley
Marbled white (c40)
Chalkhill blue (c20) - near to silver spotted skippers
Brimstone (6)

Others: comma, large white, small white, green veined white, small skipper, meadow brown, ringlet, gatekeeper, speckled wood, peacock, red admiral.

Now to see what france produces.

Happy butterflying
Regards kev

[ChrisC]

having twinged my back at work today when I got home at 4 It was great to see 30 butterflies in the garden. mainly pecock and brimstone but commas, whites, a meadow brown and large skippers all showed up. I sat on the pation put the zoom lens on and tried for some in flight shots. they are crops of originals but if the sun comes out tomorrow i'll sit closer and have another crack.

[nomad]

Hi
Walking in a large downland nature reserve yesterday, I must have seen hundreds of Meadow Browns but I have never seen unusual aberration such as I found in these two butterflies. They looked very striking especially when they were on the wing with their strange loping flight. Peter.

Butterfly one

Butterfly one feeding

Butterfly two basking

Butterfly two

Butterfly two feeding on sawort. Note the red mite on thorax

Butterfly two enjoying nectar

Butterfly two in flight.

[lee3764]

I had a couple of very interesting sightings a few weeks back at Perran/Penhale Dunes, Cornwall. The first came on the 7/713 close to caravan where there is a smallish colony of Silver Studded Blues. The second came from the main colony of Silver Studded Blues within the dunes about fifteen minutes walk from the first sighting and was seen on the 13/7/13. Both are i believe Bilateral Gynandromorph Silver Studded Blue's, one half female and the other half male. From what i gather i was extremely lucky to see one, to see two in the space of six days ................ extraordinary !


DSC_7233_01


Halved Gynandromorph Silver Studded Blue

Hi Paul,

The S.S.Blues...Gynandramorphs look excellent on this website & arousing quite a lot of interest mate!!
Cheers,
Lee Slaughter.

[Penhale Paul]

Good, people should be able to see them and discuss/debate them, after all its quite possible a lot of people haven't seen an image of one let alone one in the flesh so i consider myself extremely fortunate and am more than happy for others to see these, thanks for the initial ID too Lee.