padfield wrote:mouse wrote:Surely the net would hurt it?
Netting with a professional net is probably less harmful overall than chasing a butterfly over fragile habitat. It does the butterfly no harm and allows close examination. Here is a large blue quite happy to sit around on my thumb after being netted and examined:
I let it go immediately. With some groups (
Mellicta,
Pyrgus,
Erebia) netting may be the only way of getting an accurate picture of which species fly in an area. I have identified exactly two Piedmont ringlets in my local region, both of which were cruising past and only identified by netting.
Guy
Hmmmm .... that looks like
M.arion obscura ~ maybe not now ~ my memorised names are all over 30 years now and could well be long since changed or updated.
I saw that species in good numbers back in July~Aug 1981 in the superb Alpine Meadows high above Zermatt ~ I do hope those superb habitats are still in good shape and not destroyed or harmfully changed in the ever demanding interests of the tourists industries, mostly aimed at winter sports in those superb mountain areas.
Sadly, too many UK Butterfly enthusiasts have a too narrowly focussed outlook on this subject. For numerous reasons they really need to widen their outlook. Even here in the UK where we have a relative paucity of species, several can only be certainly identified by capture~identify~release. In fact, that applies to quite a large proportion of the paucity of species we have here. Imagine what it is like in some parts of the world where twenty species of 'Blues' or, 'Mountain Ringlets' can be on the wing in the same place and at the same time. No chance of a positive ID unless.....
If I so chose, I have the skills to say remove 5 or 6 ova of the Purple Emperor (
Apatura iris ~ which is NOT a rare butterfly in the UK ~ but, despite it's high flyer reputation, keeps a relatively 'low profile' so is easily overlooked in many of its localities even by experienced observers) from a woodland and raise those through to adults the following season. Lets say of those only two are females. By pairing them in captivity ( have done this on numerous occasions including a dozen plus other world species of closely related Apaturinae ) and with good husbandry, each female could easily lay up to 500 fertile ova ~ 2nd pairings are possible to ensure continuing fertility ~ and again with good husbandry, most of those could be raised through to adults the following season. A few of each sex could be returned to their original habitat, the rest sold off as specimens to collectors who want them with virtually no measurable harm done to both species and habitat. A collector with a series of perfect bred specimens could mean less chance of wild ones being taken in numbers ~ wild caught specimens are rarely good enough for the discerning butterfly collector enthusiast. Do not forget also, many hunters, collectors, shooters etc have been very instrumental in setting up and establishing viable Nature Reserves. Probably moreso than your average 'tree hugger' although I am guilty of planting many trees with larval foodplants in mind ~ I'm a very enthusiastic tree enthusiast too ....
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
.... I have a few dozen fine living specimens of my own .... mature trees that is ... which support several species of butterfly and moth......
However, now consider the vast amount of work necessary to achieve that Purple Emperor breeding operation successfully. Impossible without much preparation and help ~ years of establishing sufficient growing foodplant for starters ~ and staff required for virtually 24/7/365 monitoring to ensure their well being throughout ~ to mention only two key elements. Holidays away would not be possible at any time ~ livestock left to their own devices will be depleted no matter what unless continual care and attention is devoted to them several times daily. So logistically, as a commercial or profit making proposition it is far from viable. The rewards simply do not justify the outlay of both time and effort.
However, it is possible to sell say numbers of the freshly laid ova in say one or two dozen batches to those who want them. Ova are less demanding of time and effort once they've been obtained. Years ago, well over twenty in fact, several wealthy landowners on discovering that their woodlands once contained this species, had managed their land and its use to again provide suitable habitat. The word got around and approached me to provide stocks for reintroductions. I was able to help on a relatively successful scale.
Having said all that, no doubt many will be of the opinion that captive bred live specimens are always less healthy and virile than wild ones. That is particularly so with those of strong academic backgrounds where there opinions are based on their own, or other academics' indifferent attempts at captive breeding. These invariably provide results showing weak stock ~ a very false impression but, one that persists in such circles and the word is spread which reinforces the myth. That poor result is not due to captive breeding but, poor husbandry and all the other failed considerations necessary to maintain healthy captive stocks. Most academics involved with butterflies I've met over the years, and I've met most of them, are VERY poor breeders of butterflies, even when entrusted with only a few. A larger number would be beyond them. It's not mutually exclusive, but somewhere close to that. So, they perpetuate the myth that captive stocks are not healthy. They are wrong for the various reasons already given as well as some others which may be the subject of another posting.
Consider also, if captive breeding of livestock was so unreliable, all those fine healthy strains and bloodlines of farm cattle, sheep, horses etc worldwide over many many generations would have expired long ago. It's about good husbandry and devotion.... there are no shortcuts.
I have no objection to anyone having a fine series of bred perfect Purple Emperors in their collection, provided they are bred from captive pairings. Indeed, I would encourage that in preference to harmful means of trying to collect, usually unsuccessfully or harmfully, their earlier stages from the wild. In many ways collectors are actually beneficial to the continuing well being of wildlife. Consider the fabulous huge 'Swallowtail/Birdwing' butterflies of certain Pacific islands. These are actually commercially bred to satisfy the worldwide collector market ~ they have no appeal to me but, the income helps to ensure their continuance in their very threatened fragile environments and habitats in areas of much poverty where flora and fauna are of little consequence for folks there to survive otherwise. ...
So, whilst you're trampling about trying to get that ideal image into your camera, consider what you've done to the plants and livestock under foot ...
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Yes, the camera can be more destructive than the net .... and did you notice you crushed those Meadow Pipits eggs underfoot when trying to get that perfect shot of the Adonis Blue in the Cotswolds ... probably not in the heat of the moment ..... you think it does not happen .... Oh yes it does ....
......