Meadow Brown question

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:21 pm

I have here a meadow brown taken on 01/06/07.

Is this sub-species iernes? Thought this only occured in south west Ireland. This was in Mountstewart, Co Down.

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:11 pm

Hello,

I am not informed on sub species of Meadow Browns. How do I find out please?

Andy Horton
Sussex

Post by **Pete Eeles** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:59 pm

There's some info here:

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... ow%20Brown

... mostly taken from Emmet and Heath. Adrian Riley's new book (when it's out) should provide more info.

Cheers,

- Pete

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:08 pm

Meadow Brown with the Double Spicks
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoreham/180783856/

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2006.html#3July

I am not sure if this counts as a sub-species or a regular aberration?

It was from Mill Hill, Old Shoreham, Sussex

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/VetchTrail2006.htm

Post by **Pete Eeles** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:15 pm

Well, first off, it's subspecies insularis ... since that's the subspecies we get in most of the British Isles.

Looking at the Cockayne database at:

http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research ... ES=jurtina

there doesn't appear to be any specific aberrations with multiple spots, so I suspect such an occurrence is either too frequent to name, or it's not considered an aberration. Happy to be corrected.

Cheers,

- Pete

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:35 pm

Another double-spotted one at:

http://www.quoditch.org.uk/quoditchsatyridae.html

alex mclennan · Post by **alex mclennan** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:12 pm

In his new book, Adrian Riley has a chapter on 'The Meadow Brown Group'
in which he details the British Meadow Brown (subspecies insularis), the Irish Meadow Brown (iernes), the Isles of Scilly Meadow Brown (cassiteridum) and the Hebridean Meadow Brown (splendida). Iernes is described as being common or abundant throughout Ireland and among the numerous variations listed is the fact that 'the male forewing upperside has a distinct orange band in which is usually set a double white pupilled eye spot.'
Alex

Denise · Post by **Denise** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:21 pm

Checking through the photo's that I have taken this year of Meadow Brown, I have found three such butterflies with a double spot.

Denise

Perseus · Post by **Perseus** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:40 pm

Hello,

I don't think they are that unusual. Most of them seem to occur when the Gatekeepers were about. It caused me confusion when I was a school kid.

Andy Horton

Dave McCormick · Post by **Dave McCormick** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:20 am

Here is another 2 spot Meadow Brown, but the lower spot is more a thin white line. I took a long while ago. Is this iernes? If it was, it was not in the South West Ireland, but up in the North East.

Just read on wikipedia:

A variable number of smaller eyespots are usually found on the hindwing undersides. These may number up to 12 per individual butterfly, with up to 6 on each wing. The factors that govern polymorphism in this trait are not resolved, although a number of theories have been proposed (Stevens 2005). On the other hand, the evolutionary significance of the upperwing eyespots is more obvious: The more active males have a markedly more cryptic upperside pattern, whereas the females have more often opportunity to present their eyespots in a sudden display of colors and patterns that presumably make neophobic predators hesitate so that the butterfly has better chances of escaping.