2015 Resolutions...

[Jack Harrison]

britannicus is now usually double brooded

Is that fully double brooded (ie most offspring of the May/June emergence emerge the same year), or partially double brooded (only a small proportion)?

Jack

[William]

2) A Pale Clouded Yellow

With the recent spates of late summer Clouded Yellow sightings I am always surprised that one of these hasn't turned up yet, when going through the 'literature' they pop up quite a lot - look forward to seeing the inevitable photos

As for me, I think more Marsh Fritillaries - I can never get enough of them (hopefully find some larvae this spring), some Brown Hairstreak photos - I've seen them every year since 2012, but no photos yet, and breeding Common Blues in the garden!

BWs

William

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Jack,

Re britannicus, "Is that fully double brooded (ie most offspring of the May/June emergence emerge the same year), or partially double brooded (only a small proportion)?"

It's probably a situation, like so many others, which is in a state of flux, with "occasional, partial" becoming "consistent, partial", and ultimately leading to "full", this being a function of climate change. The proportion of first brood pupae which emerge later that year is probably increasing, and in the short term will probably depend upon weather patterns. At the moment I believe the situation is “consistent, partial”, but the second brood can be quite strong in some years.

A similar thing has already happened with the Wood White in southern England. The "occasional, partial" second brood has now become "full", with second brood numbers often outstripping the first.

Almost any text written about British butterflies is likely to become subject to review within a relatively short timespan. We are undoubtedly living in a period of rapid change.

BWs, Neil

[David M]

2) A Pale Clouded Yellow

With the recent spates of late summer Clouded Yellow sightings I am always surprised that one of these hasn't turned up yet, when going through the 'literature' they pop up quite a lot - look forward to seeing the inevitable photos

I'm into my 6th year of membership on this site and as yet no-one has come up with a PCY sighting.

The difficulty is not just in locating one, but also in successfully identifying it!

As for me, I think more Marsh Fritillaries - I can never get enough of them (hopefully find some larvae this spring), some Brown Hairstreak photos - I've seen them every year since 2012, but no photos yet, and breeding Common Blues in the garden!

Just shows that where you live in the UK can shape your aspirations. Personally, I'm lucky in the sense that I have Marsh Fritillaries virtually on my doorstep so this rarity will never appear in any list of resolutions (neither will High Brown Fritillary for similar reasons). However, species such as Purple Emperor, Swallowtail, Glanville Fritillary, Heath Fritillary, Black Hairstreak (and more) require a considerable investment of time and energy (not to mention travelling).

[Goldie M]

my resolution for this year would be to see a few of the Butterflies not yet on my photo list
1 Purple Emperor
2 Large Heath
3 Brown Hair streak and also including in this White, Purple and Black HS
4 Glanville Fritil's and Wood White would also be welcome other's hope fully like the Large Blue I'll see eventually

I'm lucky in the fact that some rare ones are local within an hour's run like the the Northern Brown Argus and the Duke Of Burgandy plus Small PB and PB Frits, High Brown Frits these can all be seen at Gaits Barrow.

My real wish would be to see the White Small Pearl BF I saw 2 year's ago, I didn't appreciate what I was looking at then not realising how rare they were because I was so new to Butterflies, now I'd just love to see them again.

Good luck to every one for next year and I hope I see some of you at Fermyn Wood Goldie

[Susie]

If we can include wishes then I'll add finding silver washed fritillary caterpillars in my garden and seeing a bilateral gyandromorph again.

[Pete Eeles]

For me, it has to be seeing the 3 remaining subspecies to complete the set:

1. Small Heath spp. rhoumensis on the Isle of Rhum.
2. Speckled Wood ssp. insula on the Isles of Scilly.
3. Meadow Brown ssp. cassiteridum, also on the Isles of Scilly.

I'm fortunate in having a son (an officer in the Royal Navy) who is based at Culdrose at the tip of Cornwall, so free digs before heading off to the Scilly Isles But the trip to Rhum (and timing) is going to be a nightmare, although I've also said that with other subspecies and have still managed to find what I was after (perseverance playing a large part of the success!). I also have a long list of immature stages I want to track down, but the list is getting smaller He who dares ... and all that

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

Pete hopes for a:

trip to Rhum

You will do very well to manage that Pete. There is no such place these days as Rhum with an "H".

Rùm (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [rˠuːm]), a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland. For much of the 20th century the name became Rhum, a spelling invented by the former owner, Sir George Bullough, because he did not relish the idea of having the title "Laird of Rum".

It is always spelled Rum today. I have not been there yet as it is quite difficult to access from Tobermory needing a [rare] charter. I have set foot on two of the other of the Small Isles, Eigg and Muck.

Only practical way to gt to Rum is from Mallaig. Apparently hostel accommodation on Rum is pretty rough.

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

Pete hopes for a:

trip to Rhum

You will do very well to manage that Pete. There is no such place these days as Rhum with an "H".

Rùm (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [rˠuːm]), a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland. For much of the 20th century the name became Rhum, a spelling invented by the former owner, Sir George Bullough, because he did not relish the idea of having the title "Laird of Rum".

It is always spelled Rum today. I have not been there yet as it is quite difficult to access from Tobermory needing a [rare] charter. I have set foot on two of the other of the Small Isles, Eigg and Muck.

Only practical way to gt to Rum is from Mallaig. Apparently hostel accommodation on Rum is pretty rough.

Jack

Thanks Jack - "Rum" works for me in all ways that "rum" can Yes, getting there will not be easy at all, except on Thursdays, apparently

Cheers,

- Pete

[bugboy]

For me, it has to be seeing the 3 remaining subspecies to complete the set:

1. Small Heath spp. rhoumensis on the Isle of Rhum.
2. Speckled Wood ssp. insula on the Isles of Scilly.
3. Meadow Brown ssp. cassiteridum, also on the Isles of Scilly.

I'm fortunate in having a son (an officer in the Royal Navy) who is based at Culdrose at the tip of Cornwall, so free digs before heading off to the Scilly Isles But the trip to Rhum (and timing) is going to be a nightmare, although I've also said that with other subspecies and have still managed to find what I was after (perseverance playing a large part of the success!). I also have a long list of immature stages I want to track down, but the list is getting smaller He who dares ... and all that

Cheers,

- Pete

Jeez I've got a LONG way to go before I start worrying about ticking off the subspecies!

[David M]

Agreed. Pete Eeles is two decade's more advanced than me when it comes to a UK wish list!

I think I'd better concentrate on species I might find in France:

1. Nettle Tree Butterfly

2. Violet Copper

3. Camberwell Beauty

[peterc]

My resolutions for 2015:

1) Get close-up shots of White-letter and Brown Hairstreaks;
2) Find male Purple Emperor assembly area at Watery Grove near Stevenage;
3) Chequered Skipper, Pearl-bordered Fritillary and possibly Large Heath in Scotland

Not impossible but if I achieve all three I'll be more than delighted

Peter