www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Pete,

Is it unique because of the osmeterium upon the caterpillars head?

Felix.

Ps. Green Hairstreak larval food plants - I knew that it had the most of any British butterfly, so I just started writing them down. I got into the twenties and then just began perusing the literature until I had over thirty. If you want I shall list them; readers could then add more from their own experiences or from other reference sources. We could see how many we accumulate..!

I say it's our only butterfly that has bright warning colours as a caterpiller.

Martin.

Is it because its the only butterfly in the UK that has a subspecies that can be found in the UK, but is not a native subspecies found here? Most other butterflies I can think of that have subspecies in UK are all resident species. They don't have migrant subspecies as far as I know, but the swallowtail can ocationally have, gorganus.

It's the only butterfly (caterpillar) that can be identified by smell by a blind man.

Guy

Because the sub species that are native to Britain are named after that ie :- britannicus

Denise

or perhaps unique because it is the only British representative of the Papilionidae?

Felix.

I just love Guy's reply!!!

But I have to give it to Felix (again!). I was, indeed, thinking about the osmeterium. But Guy's response was also really good - for those of us that have ever experienced the associated "wiff" (supposedly smelling of rotten pineapple) of the Swallowtail's osmeterium!

As for Martin's response - which I also like - I think the Large White could also be considered to have warning colouration. It's certainly not camouflage!

As for Dave - good point - and that came up in an earlier question (of mine!) - but not what I was looking for.

And as for Denise - there are several subspecies named after "us" - including Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Holly Blue and Gatekeeper.

Not quite the only representative of the Papilionidae if we include "secondary" species.

Anyway - over to you Felix!

Cheers,

- Pete

I shall (if I may) hand this one over to Guy - he essentially gave the same answer as I, only Guy managed to make it amusing! (and I am tired, and can't think of anything else to ask!!)

Guy, please do the honours...

Felix.

Pete Eeles wrote:Not quite the only representative of the Papilionidae if we include "secondary" species.

Which we don't! They ain't British, just holiday makers!

Felix.

Scarce Swallowtail is a "primary" species in Adrian Riley's book

Cheers,

- Pete

Pete Eeles wrote:Scarce Swallowtail is a "primary" species in Adrian Riley's book

Oh c'mon! You can't really compare a resident breeding species to a transitory vagrant with half a dozen sightings in the last 200 years!

See if this one keeps people thinking/researching longer than my previous attempts!!

You're zooming down through France to join Roger in the Var and you meet a Frenchman catching butterflies (don't worry - he's going to release them). You ask him in perfect French what he has and he replies (in French), "Oh, just a few worries". Then he thinks a moment and adds, "Half mourning". Finally, he cheers up and announces, "Spanish tobacco!!"

What three British species has he caught? It would be far too easy if I actually gave you the French names because you could simply Google them...

Guy

I'm sitting here laughing to myself because, while I have a hunch about the first two, I can't figure out the last. So I "googled" Spanish Tobacco and it gave me "Tabac espagnol". That really helped

I need some sleep, and so does Mr. Google, if that's all he's willing to give up

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Pete,
To complete your trilogy try Silver-washed Fritillary - the common french name for the species means 'Spanish tobacco'.
Neil

I hope no-one minds if this newbie has a go at answering Guy's riddle?

if you take "worry" in the context of "preoccupation" then the French translation is "souci", or in other words, that pretty butterfly de la famille des Pieridae - the Clouded Yellow

a butterfly in "half-mourning" or "demi-deuil" clothes? Why, one that's half black I'd say - how about the Marbled White?

and as Sussex Kipper has already given the answer for the third, how about a little celebration of mon papillon préféré, le tabac d'espagne, the wonderful Silver Washed Fritillary

just thought i would remind you that the Camberwell Beauty is also known as the Mourning Cloak

charles

We're obviously attracting a very high class of newbie!!!

Annie, you're spot on with all three and the honour passes to you of providing the next cerebral tickler.

I'm not quite sure how the silver-washed fritillary got is French name, but I wonder if 'tabac' in this context means 'sensation', as in 'faire un tabac', rather than tobacco. It is certainly a sensational butterfly, as Annie notes.

Over to you, Annie.

Guy

Charles, you're right about the mourning cloak, of course. The French call this 'le morio'. There is also 'Vernon's half-mourner', which is an old name for the Bath white.

Guy

gosh, I knew there was a reason I spent the hot summer of 1997 sat in French A-Level exams

I'm also inclined to think that the SWF is more "toast of the town" than "tobacco", and the context "tabac d'espagne" rather than "tabac espagnol" would lead me further towards that conclusion; but I'm no etymological or entomological expert and maybe there's a fascinatingly obscure reason behind it!

I'm rather stuck at what question to pose, being rather new - maybe another Forumite would like to take the duty from me at this time? Sussex Kipper - you answered the final name-riddle before me, would you like to ask the next question?

padfield wrote:
but I wonder if 'tabac' in this context means 'sensation', as in 'faire un tabac', rather than tobacco.


Guy

"tabac d'espagne" was the name of a light russet colour ...doubtless the shade of spanish tobacco, which matched the colouring of the fritillary

charles