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Hi Pauline, lovely photo sequence of the Small Copper larva hatching

Mike

I should have said previously - just to clarify - that these 2 eggs were indeed taken from private land. Not only did I seek permission from the landowner but I met with him to discuss the situation and I have his approval and permission in writing. Obviously if I succeed the butterflies will be released in the same place.

The previous sequence was the emergence which I was lucky enough to witness but in all the excitement I somehow managed to get the garish background and no matter how much I 'tweak' with Photoshop I don't know the package well enough to make any noticeable improvement - a target for next season. I have become fascinated with these cats and I am trying to take the best care of them that I know how to but I am still learning and have so many questions still. Anyway, the following sequence is of the larval stage to date stretching over 18 days:
Showing the typical and characteristic leaf damage from feeding - doesn't go right through the leaf but looks opaque from the top. Cats sleep in the hollow created.
One of the cats seems more developed than the other - well, actually he is by 2 days (I missed the emergence of the 1st larva).
A different perspective!
I hope I have not been too cautious with these cats, perhaps slowing their development by keeping them in the shade to protect from the intense, harsh sun. At one point it occurred to me that not only were they in the shade but they were not getting much daylight either so they were subsequently moved. I was also getting a little weary from getting up at 2.00 am in thunderstorms so their cage was moved to an aviary with some roofing. Their appetite seems to have improved since which has brought its own problems as much of the Sorrel was initially scorched and brown. I have resorted to growing my own but they have almost consumed all the new fresh leaves. I can't imagine it will be long now before they want to pupate and one of them has already started wandering off down stems. I dread 'losing' them amongst the leaf litter or have them wonder even further afield. If they make it through, wouldn't it just be wonderful if one of them had blue spots

Pauline wrote:I can't imagine it will be long now before they want to pupate

Hi Pauline - I think you should not only check food plants before taking things from the wild, but also the phenology, since your Small Copper may be looking to overwinter as a larva. Unless, of course, your larvae have had an accelerated development and push out another brood. If they are overwintering, then you need to retain some of the old leaves, since this is where they'll typically go to overwinter. The pot also needs good drainage.

Cheers,

- Pete

I'm so looking forward to seeing your guidelines Pete as I imagine they will be a massive help. I had to look up phenology - 'the science dealing with the influence of climate on the recurrence of animal and plant life' . Well, of course I knew from this site that SC can have 3 (and sometimes 4) broods depending on climate. I also knew that they over-winter as larva but I had hoped, given the weather, that I would be seeing the butterflies this year. Perhaps not! I had assumed that if the butterfly was ovi-posting then food plant would be available for the larva (but again perhaps that is an incorrect assumption). However, I have managed to keep them fed - and they seem to be doing OK. The pot containing the food plant is fairly small and I have put some small dead leaves on the soil so hope that is OK. Why is good drainage important - it is under shelter? I am finding this incredibly fascinating and learning a great deal so your input is very welcome Pete.

Hi Pauline - I'm not intending to document a species-by-species account when I finally get around to it ... probably just a set of guidelines / common sense There are a couple of good books out there ... "Breeding the British Butterflies" by Peter Cribb is my favourite.

Small Copper larvae need good drainage because that's what they get in the wild (dry and sunny heathland, downland and meadows).

If you put some leaves in, then they'll either be used by the larvae to overwinter, or the larvae to pupate if they don't use the growing food plant (leaves or stems).

Cheers,

- Pete

Thank you for the good advice Pete and the book recommendation.

Thank you too Mike for your comment (almost missed it as posts crossed). I have to say that my camera struggles when critters are this small. I wish I knew of some device that would increase its magnification/performance for the early stages but don't know if anything is available for bridge cameras.

Pauline wrote:I wish I knew of some device that would increase its magnification/performance for the early stages but don't know if anything is available for bridge cameras.

You could use a stronger close-up lens. I think you already have the Lumix accessory, which is +2 strength, so the Hoya +10 - see http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-hoya ... -10/p12074 - would give more magnification, at the expense of very shallow depth of field. I haven't used one on a Lumix but others may have.

After that, if you are seriously into photographing early stages, you need a microscope, which you can couple to your camera .... but that's a whole new game!

mike

Thank you for those details Mike. If I decide to do this again I shall almost certainly give that lens a go so I would be interested to hear if anyone has tried it. I assume with a small aperture I'd have a slow shutter speed which would mean use of a tripod - good job I'm (slowly) getting used to using one.

Yesterday I decided to drop into Noar Hill to see if I could find any Duke larva - a long shot as there haven't been many second brood Dukes seen to date. As I entered the site, the Red Kite was circling above (again) and as I reached the triangle area there was a Brown Hairstreak in the grass - again! (which I didn't see until I'd flushed it ). This was beginning to feel like Deja Vu - even a bit spooky. I looked round expecting to see the Painted Lady. It wasn't there of course; neither was the Clouded Yellow and by now thunder clouds had started to gather so I didn't even see the Dukes . Optimistically I did have a look for Duke larva but the typical feeding damage on the Cowslip leaves I am sure was the result of the 1st brood. I did see lots of Common Blues including females egg-laying and more Brown Argus than I have seen for a while - and of course I had the cows for company
Female resting after much ovi-posting:
Back at home the WA cats continue to prosper:

I have a question/concern relating to my little cats which I could ask privately but I have chosen to air it publicly in case it helps anyone else in a similar situation. My WA (and possibly SC) are likely/hopefully going to overwinter as larva. If we have an incredibly freezing time of it should I treat these little critters as tender plants and cover with fleece or similar - or should I just let them freeze solid and take their chances? Common sense dictates that I should provide some protection but would that be the natural way of things? Perhaps they are equipped to deal with extremes of climate?

Yesterday I had a great morning in great company and I was delighted to see and photograph my first Comma cat:
This was spotted by my companion but I found a few cats to return the favour:
Grey Dagger moth cat.
Vaporer moth

and a few cats which have an amazing ability to camouflage themselves as twigs and which I haven't yet identified:
OK, so there was a bit of rivalry and A. spotted his fair share so I shall just include a few of the others including this lovely Shield bug:
This unusual creature is a Pebble Prominent:
An incredibly large Buff tipped moth cat:
and last but not least, a lovely lime green iridescent cat which I have yet to identify:
A great morning despite the incredibly frustrating breeze.

Let your cats freeze, Pauline! A British winter is very mild compared to what their cousins on the continent live through. Some winters, the temperature in my local woods stays below -12°C for weeks on end, dropping to nearer -20°C at night - and yet the purple emperor and white admiral cats make it through. I imagine it is more important to protect them from direct sunlight and undue warmth, but others will know better.

Guy

Pauline wrote:I assume with a small aperture I'd have a slow shutter speed which would mean use of a tripod - good job I'm (slowly) getting used to using one.

A tripod or some other fixed mount will be essential, in my opinion, because of the very shallow depth of field. Everything will have to be held firmly in order to maintain focus.

Mike

Thank you Guy - I shall take your advice.

I shall definitely use a tripod Mike if I am taking photos of early stages at home as I don't have to carry it about which is most of the problem. Thank you for the tips.

There was a definite feeling at Noar Hill this morning that the butterfly season is drawing to an end. Energy levels are beginning to wane (mine, that is, not the butterflies !). The frenetic activity, so apparent at the start of the season has been replaced by a more relaxed and laid-back attitude – one of simply enjoying the butterflies.... and today there were plenty to enjoy, some really fresh and others quite worn, and although I only counted 11 species the overall numbers more than made up for that.
One of the first butterflies to greet me was a female Clouded Yellow as she zoomed around the site despite the early hour and the slight chill to the air. Lovely fresh Tortoiseshells adorned the paths and a couple of smart Red Admiral added yet more colour to the scene, along with large numbers of Blues.
Despite several Brown Hairstreaks having been seen in the last few days I did not encounter any but whilst looking I was entertained by the antics of several Buzzards who had replaced the Red Kite seen on previous visits. I had an interesting conversation about the butterflies, in particular the Brown Hairstreak, with a local farmer who was planting Blackthorn in an endeavour to encourage these butterflies on the advice of Dr Dan Hoare.
I was also introduced, by a fellow enthusiast, to the Ladies Tresses orchid which seem to be prolific on the site in several specific spots and have been given precise locations of various types of Fly Orchid for the spring.
Apparently, Autumn Gentian can frequently be found growing alongside these orchids:

After the successful release of my Peacock butterflies I had discarded the pot of nettles on which they had thrived, leaving it neglected and ignored, as by the time the Peacocks had finished with it, it was something of an eyesore. However, the other day I checked it and not only had it grown somewhat but there were 2 cats on it. I know that one of them is a Comma but I am not sure what the other is and wonder if it is some sort of moth? It is probably too much to ask for a definite ID if it is a moth but can anyone confirm that it is NOT a butterfly larva? Not a great shot as it is partially under a leaf:
Having recently become very interested in (large) moths and their caterpillars I cannot resist posting a few shots of the Pine Hawk moth larvae from yesterday which I personally think are extremely attractive. The Hayling Billy Trail is obviously a good site for them:

I can't think of anything other than Peacock for that caterpillar. Maybe a straggler you missed that was less advanced than the rest you had on it?

I would go for a Red Admiral. The larvae are variable in colour an often appear quite plump, with medium sized spines. This one may also be in the process of constructing a new tent. Another image should confirm it either way

Vince

Oh yes I suppose it is a bit chunky for Peacock. Didn't know you got Red Admirals that dark, but I am far from a caterpillar expert. Had my first red admirals this year on some 'introduced' stinging nettles in the garden and they were a range of browns and greens!

Thank you John and Vince for your suggestions. To try to clarify the situation I went out a little earlier with the intention of taking another photo to try to help with ID. I thought I would check the Comma cat at the same time although I had taken a cursory look at him this morning and saw that he was hanging under a leaf. I wondered if he was about to shed his skin as I have little experience of these matters. Looking more closely I was shocked and horrified to find the poor little mite had been parasitised . The 'thing' beside him was huge and I could see something moving inside and all that was left of him was an empty shell - he was completely hollow
I was so looking forward to watching this cat develop and emerge, so if anyone has a spare Comma cat .... (John??? )???

Anyway, I took another shot of the unidentified cat which is not much better than the first one. I am concerned that it may have met a similar fate as this photo seems to show body parts littering the leaf

Pauline wrote:Anyway, I took another shot of the unidentified cat which is not much better than the first one. I am concerned that it may have met a similar fate as this photo seems to show body parts littering the leaf

Sorry to hear about the Comma, Pauline! That's some sort of tachnid fly I believe, and its pupa will be inside the cocoon.

As for the other larva - I'm with Vince on this and agree it's a Red Admiral and I'm pretty sure it's just moulted (hence the head capsule and larger spines).

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Pauline. That Pine Hawk cat is brilliant. Looks like it has bought clothes from Carnaby Street!!

Very, very interesting recent posts, Pauline, the Coxcomb Prominent is an amazing looking beastie The Pine Hawk moth larva is brilliant, as are the Comma cats, great shots too

Mike