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As a follow-up to my last post, I checked the leaf where I had put the WLH larva yesterday. It was entire when I put the larva on it but this afternoon showed characteristic signs of WLH activity, so I am happy to say he recovered from his long walk:



I couldn't see him anywhere though and suspect he fed up then climbed higher up the tree (it was only a sapling, but still quite tall).

Hostilian and the shiny new camilla cat:





I'm hoping they'll both pupate on the isolated sallow and honeysuckle where they currently are - but that's for two or three weeks down the line yet and either or both might well be eaten before then.

Guy

Fantastic caterpillar pictures and stories. Great that you rescued the WLH cat. That is the sort of thing I would try to do on a walk, much to the annoyance of my wife!!

NickMorgan wrote:That is the sort of thing I would try to do on a walk, much to the annoyance of my wife!!

That's what's so good about dogs. Minnie just thinks whatever I'm doing it must be brilliant!

Jack asked some time ago what happened if the horns of an iris cat were damaged. Well, I may soon be in a position to answer his question, as Novus emerged yesterday into his fifth instar with a damaged horn. I didn't know then whether it was really damaged or just snagged on something but as it was still bent over today it is obviously the former:



I hope I will be able to report that this makes no difference at all.

Hostilian is now magnificent and having difficulty finding leaves long enough to accomodate him:



Baby sextus turned 4th instar yesterday, and so is over an instar behind Hostilian. It is possible he is one of those that hibernate in 2nd instar.



It rained last night and he is still carrying water droplets, so I guess he hasn't done much today!

The white admiral cat I check every day is now over 2cm long:



I will continue to monitor him and the day I can't find him, I hope, will be the day I find his pupa ...

Elsewhere in the woods this white admiral caterpillar was out in the open on a sunny twig - something I've not seen before:



It was cold but sunny this afternoon and plenty of woodland species were flying, including Duke of Burgundy. But best was this Camberwell beauty - something I rarely see on my local patch and when I do it is most often the new emergence in July and August, presumably dispersing. Unfortunately it was between me and the sun and there was a dog between me and it, so the chances of a decent photo were rather limited!



Guy

Up and out early as the forecast was for sunny spells in the morning and cloud in the afternoon.

The morning list, from a site in the Val d'Hérens, comprised: scarce swallowtail, Apollo, small white, green-veined white, black-veined white, wood white, orange tip, Berger's clouded yellow, little blue, Provençal short-tailed blue, Osiris blue, green-underside blue, common blue, Adonis blue, green hairstreak, purple-shot copper, sooty copper, Duke of Burgundy, peacock, small tortoiseshell, comma, violet fritillary, Glanville fritillary, spotted fritillary, heath fritillary, false heath fritillary, Queen of Spain fritillary, small heath, wall, speckled wood, southern grizzled skipper, safflower skipper, dingy skipper.

Some piccies of a few of these:


(Apollos are suddenly common)


(another)


(black-veined whites have also burst onto the scene)


(purple-shot copper)


(another)


(a pristine Osiris blue)


(three hatched eggs of blue-spot hairstreak. I couldn't find any caterpillars, but the leaves were still furled and the caterpillars doubtless tiny)


(I had a beer - Minnie had some delicious alpine water)

In the afternoon, we went to get the lady some slippers. These four looked just the right size:



Some more piccies of this extraordinary plant:









Nearby we found these bird's nest orchids:



All in all, a fruitful day.

Guy

Nice set of photos Guy; the Apollo is one of the absolute musts in any European 'altitude' butterfly collector's album.
That stream water does look refreshing - lucky Minnie
Chris

Thank you Chris. Yes, Apollos are iconic butterfleis - but also, fortunately, very common. They fly in a single brood from late May through to September.

Return to rain today - but somehow, by summer, even rainy days seem fragrant and lush:



I don't know what poor, deformed Novus thinks of it though. He doesn't look thrilled - I think he's the Marvin of the iris cat world:



A spider has set up home next to Hostilian:



This is baby Sextus, almost invisible in his shady leaf puddle:



I gave Minnie my brolly while I looked for white admiral cats:



I'm afraid Minnie's likely to sneak into a lot of my posts. Qui me amat &c.


(white admiral cat - taken with flash because it was just too dark there in the deep shade without flash)

We have hoodies in Switzerland too. Here's one:


(man orchid)

In this weather it's the logical attire.

Guy

Guy, you do know how to make us jealous here in England - that meadow is to die for , as are those Orchids, fantastic photos.

I know I've said it before but this is a great diary Guy - the stunning scenery, the variety of butterflies, the Iris cats and of course the adorable Minnie (I hope you'll continue to include her in your shots).

when do we all come over on holiday !!!!!!!!!!!!!

A long holiday-like April to August .

As always, your kind comments are much appreciated (and any envy interpreted in the kindest possible sense!). William, your beefly orchids beat anything I might see here - that hybrid is not even mentioned in Delforge, which I thought was the Bible for European orchids ...

Iris is the goddess of the rainbow. So far as Novus, Hostilian and Sextus are concerned, she seems currently to be the goddess of the rain. But Sextus in particular is revelling in it. He has changed leaves but still somehow manages to maintain a permanent raindrop coat, which serves as a very effective disguise:



He's obvious when you see him, but no passing bird would ever get a digitally enhanced view like this:



Novus is wearing a raindrop space-hat ...



... and even regal Hostilian is bejewelled with droplets:



The forecast is dry for the rest of the week, improving towards the weekend. I hope this will give them a chance to feed and fatten up - and me the chance to catch up on the remaining spring species.

Guy

As one who regularly goes on long butterfly expeditions with my dog I really enjoy your pictures of Minnie - amet et canem meum
Kind regards
Mark

I'm glad you enjoy seeing Minnie, Mark. And top marks for completing the Latin phrase with the correct subjunctive form of the verb!

Guy

Some will remember I found a stray white-letter hairstreak caterpillar wandering across a forest stream a week ago and relocated him to a nearby elm sapling. Subsequent searches of the sapling were in vain, though I knew he had survived the trauma as the leaf I had left him on showed feeding signs. Well, today I found him again, on an upper leaf of the same sapling - no longer green but a deep maroon/brown and shortly to enter the prepupal stage.


(his natural orientation)


(turned to show more of his markings)

This is not a prepupa yet - it is still a caterpillar. The prepupa looks like this:


(June 2010)

The final pupa will look like this:


(June 2010)

I will make a point of checking over the next few days.

Novus, Sextus and Hostilian are all fine but Hostilian has eaten almost all of his resting leaf:



When Aurelian did that a couple of years ago it heralded his move to a pupation site - but I don't think Hostilian has been in 5th instar long enough for that.

Guy

Your ability to keep finding these larvae is just amazing, Guy. You must have patience in stratospheric quantities!

I think the one who needs patience is Minnie, David!

No patience or skill needed to spot this marbled white (I think, but I'm happy to be corrected) cat going for its final walk before pupation this morning:





Nor this glowworm larva:



Guy

That reminds me to check out my Marbled White larva. I doubt they will be crossing the road though!! Great image Guy.

You seem to be able to see Satyrid larvae even when they're lost among grass-stems, Badger, so I don't think you need them to cross roads!

Little to add to my diary today except that Hostilian remains on the same sapling, increasing my hopes that he will stay around to pupate. This is now day 11 of his 5th instar.



He is essentially a full-grown caterpillar now.

Sextus is visibly growing and I expect him to race through his 4th instar:



Novus is healthy and seems to be growing:



This is my most advanced white-admiral cat:



He is in final instar and hasn't moved for a bit (and was in that position when I found him today, so it wasn't defensive - or not against me, anyway) so I hope he is preparing to pupate now. At over an inch long he is fully grown, I think.

Finally, to complete the regulars, the white-letter hairstreak caterpillar hadn't moved since yesterday so is clearly intending to pupate at that spot:



Mostly cloudy, with some rain and occasional sun. This chequered skipper was sitting out in light rain:



Guy

Padfield wrote:........Finally, to complete the regulars, the white-letter hairstreak caterpillar hadn't moved since yesterday so is clearly intending to pupate at that spot:

Absolutely fascinating stuff, Guy

It seems that the WLH larva has taken the necessary precautions to secure its leaf. I can see at least 3 points where it has attached the leaf to the plant stem with silken strands. Hopefully we can all continue to follow its progress.

Vince

(Edit made to original post to correct minor error)

Your photos of the early stages continue to amaze me Guy. I am looking forward to seeing your WA pupate as some small consolation given that 'my' one has gone AWOL. Would you happen to know if they stray far to pupate?