Nick Broomer

[Nick Broomer]

No problem Wurzel.

Changing colour.....

The photo below was taken in overcast conditions and, as you can see the body of this 1st instar Comma larva is mainly brown and grey.

But when you photograph this species of larva in lighter conditions the body changes colour, to green, yellow and red as depicted in the next photo.

And just to prove a point, in the last photo this Comma 1st instar larva was taken half in the shade and, half in sunshine.

And the brighter the light the brighter the colours.

[Nick Broomer]

The Red Admiral larva when it is freshly hatched is very similar to that of the Comma 1st instar, but has shorter strands of hair and less of it.

But over a few days it's body takes quite a transformation. Here is a Red Admiral 1st instar larva just a few hours before it's first moult.

[Nick Broomer]

How long are our butterflies joined when copulating?... half an hour, an hour, an hour and a half, two hours?
What i have found, is that, it depends on what time of day butterflies decide to copulate. Take for instance the Small Tortoiseshell, the courtship starting mid afternoon, before mating late afternoon, early evening. They then stay joined throughout the night, separating the following morning. But how many other species of butterfly mate throughout the night? The Wood White is a strong candidate but, like the Orange-tip normally mate between 40-80 minutes, [which is average for quite a few of our butterflies] but this is not always the case......

this pair of Orange-tips spent at least fourteen hours copulating overnight [found just before 5pm 29th April and, checked the following morning at 7am 3oth April where they were still joined]. A possible two-three hours could quite easily be added to the fourteen hours that i witnessed these two Orange-tips copulating.

[trevor]

HI Nick,

I note reading some of your postings that you are no stranger to Chiddingfold forest,where the second brood
Wood Whites had a good year in 2014 .We went there especially to photograph them last summer.
What we did observe was a change in their routine at about 4.30/5.00pm.,when they started to settle down
from non- stop floppy flight to resting, courting and mating.
Some of the images from that day are on page 2 of my diary. Whether they stay coupled all evening or not I
don't know but the mating pair we saw stayed together for atleast two hours.

All the best,
TREVOR

[trevor]

Sorry Nick,the images are on page 3 of my diary
TREVOR.

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Trevor,

many thanks for answering my post, really appreciated.

I have sent you a P.M.

All the best, Nick.

[Nick Broomer]

Changing....... the first six days in the life of a Purple Hairstreak 1st instar larva..

One day old 1st instar larva outside it's new home.

Two days old, still outside it's new home.

Day six, on the move......

[Goldie M]

I'd be pleased to see the Butterfly just once Goldie

[Padfield]

Amazing early stage shots, Nick.

Guy

[Jamie Burston]

Stunning Photos! Your interest, observations and approach makes your photographs and notes truly unique. So far you've manages to highlight something new and different about every species you cover. I cannot wait to see the full series of photos covering Purple Hairstreak!

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Nick, some great images and observations in your recent posts, fascinating stuff

Cheers,

Neil

[David M]

Great images, Nick. You've clearly got a well developed sixth sense for early stages.

[Nick Broomer]

Thanks everyone for your very flattering comments for something i really enjoy doing, i very nearly blushed.

Goldie its easy to see a Purple Hairstreak, just go out about 6-6.30 in the evening, and find an Oak Tree and look above the canopy and you should see a one. It will look quite silvery from a distance. Now photographing a Purple Hairstreak is a totally different matter, you need a lot of luck, and just being in the right place at the right time. Good luck for 2015.

Jamie, i haven't managed the full sequence of the P.H. lifecycle as yet, but hopefully i will soon. Good luck with your article on the P.H., i hope to be able to read it when you have finished. Good luck, and welcome to the forum.

Thank you all again.

All the best, Nick.

[bugboy]

I concur with everyone elses comments, these first instar pics are amazing. It's interesting that after only 6 days the purple hairstreak is already developing the distinctive pattering.

[trevor]

HI Nick,

RE. Wood Whites at Botany Bay. Sorry for the delay in answering your question, we left the site at about 6.30 pm.

All the best,
TREVOR.

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Bugboy and Trevor,

thank you for your kind comments, Bugboy, Appreciated.

Trevor, thanks for your reply. Also appreciated.

All the best, Nick.

[Goldie M]

Thanks for the advice Nick , I always try to see them if I go to my daughters in Kent (not seen one yet) when I go to Gaits Barrow it's usually morning time then home ( we live an hour a way and after trudging round for a few hours we're ready for off I don't think we have any round here but you never know I'll have to go out later and look Goldie.

[Nick Broomer]

Silver-washed Fritillary ovum freshly laid.

After two weeks the ovum turns black, and hatches a further week later. Where the newly emerged larva eats the shell.

The final photo depicts another S.W.F. ovum, [found on the same tree as the 1st egg, but laid about a week later, probably by a different female] which has been sucked dry.

[Jamie Burston]

You've done it again with the Silver-washed Fritillary ovum - wow! Thanks for the welcome and the comments about my article, once it's complete I will definitely send you a copy or a link to it depending if it's Dispar worthy! I admittedly got confused as with the comment beneath the last Purple Hairstreak larva photo, I assumed their would be another series of photos following the larva development, however I now realise looking at the order of text that it was relating to the above photo.

[Wurzel]

More cracking stuff Nick
Have a goodun

Wurzel