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IAC wrote:A very fine Small Tortoiseshell ab I spotted yesterday in the Scottish Borders.

Iain.

Not sure what I can say about that, Iain.

Certainly one of the most amazing images I've ever seen on here. Small Tortoiseshell aberrations don't come around very often but you've captured a really notable one there.

In reply to Jack, Guy and David re Small T Shell ab. I can only surmise from my observations that this may be down to the weather conditions perhaps. We have had a really horrific summer on the east coast of Scotland and I did note that Small T Shell Cats were very irregular when it came to instar stages. Some very undernourished chaps along with fairly beefy looking Cats from the same egg batches. It is possible that the pupal stage has been greatly lengthened as well due to poor weather. However....I suppose if all that was true I may be finding a few more odd ones as time passes. Whatever the reason...I have been recording for 10 years and more, and this will be the first of its kind I have seen. One every ten years sounds about right.


Iain.

Nairn 16th August

On a day when temperature here just pipped 26C and brought Tortoiseshells out in excellent numbers, a would-be hibernator entered the house. I presume Torties cover all eventualities and enter hibernation at different times throughout the late summer/autumn. The house will probably be too warm (and dry) for it to survive the winter indoors so it was shooed outside and pointed in the direction of an unheated outhouse.

Peacocks not out yet - well, none seen.

Keeping a look out for Comma. Not yet recorded in this area but have been seen in upper Speyside (not sure when) and as they continue their spread northwards, Comma is certainly not impossible here.

Scotch Argus still flying

Jack

My garden in Harman's Cross near Swanage in Dorset, has had less than the usual number of species this year - just 17 so far, whereas I would normally have expected at least 24 species. I have lived here since 1984 and although we get Silver-washed Fritillary in large numbers most years in our garden, I had never seen a Valezina until 2015 when we had 2 for 5 days. This year expecting to see none I was surprised to get 2 Valezinas seen most days from 4th August to 14th August. Unlike the normal SWFs they seemed to like settling in the grass, on the stone walls of our house, in Fuchsia plants, and especially partial to our garden hose! Has there been an increase in Valezinas or have I just been lucky? Does anyone know please? A couple of pictures attached - and also a picture of a Small Copper on my lawn yesterday that was reflecting the sunlight showing the most beautiful gold colour at the base of its wings.

Valezina seems to fly a little bit later than the normal form of female.

That leads to my speculation: is valezina more susceptible to adverse weather in its early stages and simply doesn't have enough time to mature unless conditions are right? So it is only when conditions are favourable (I have no suggestions what they might be) do the valezinas have enough time to emerge as adults?

Richard South in his classic "The Butterflies of the British Isles" says that valesina

"in some parts of China seems to be the dominant form"

A clue there perhaps?

Jack

Jack, Thanks for your comments - The Valezinas in my garden were seen during the latter period that the SWFs were flying. By 14th August the only other SWFs were very faded and tatty, including one other normal female. Regards, Brian

Female clouded yellow, form helice, nectaring on heather on E. Suffolk heathland near Rendlesham this afternoon. I had gone to the coast in the morning in case any clouded yellows should have arrived with this favourable weather, but nothing. Then, on a walk in the woods this afternoon, there she was:





That was it - two or three record shots and she was off.

Guy

What a lovely welcome for you, Guy. Excellent find.

Nairn 17th August

Had a "scarce" (for this part of the world) visitor to the garden today: Small White egg laying on nasturtiums.

I'm not sure just how scarce Small White really is. I've been living here for 13+ months now and until today, had seen Small whites only once. Mind you, Green-veined Whites were equally scarce until about three weeks ago - now they are everywhere.

Jack

18 August

Small White again laying on nasturtium. Peacocks now out in small numbers.

Jack

Small White egg-laying down here in our South Wales garden but on Alyssum which surprised me. Alyssum leaves are very small.

Kevin.

Look at my long antennae.

Jack

Hello all,
Started out late today,for our weekly trip to Dungeness,still windy,but warm with patchy sun ,hopes weren't high but we still went anyway, on arrival we made our way along the power station fence, and were surprised to see so many Common blues on the wing,keeping low in the dried grass, also a few Brown Args; Small Whites, Small Heath and several
Meadowbrowns and Gatekeepers,looking very weatherbeaten now, and about a dozen Small Coppers,seen along the fence. On into the "Moat" and here there were very good numbers of Coppers on the wing,bumped into Hoggers who,d also done well, we,d just arrived and Hoggers and his pal were just off, found one or two , oddly marked individuals in the moat,one with a paler hindwing bar,and another very dusky Blue spotted individual,and another with a row of pale spots inside the forewing border,but my butterfly of the day was an absolutely miniscule male Common Blue,easily half the size of a normal Common Blue,with a wing length of no more than 10.mm ,just once a Copper landed beside it,but I just wasn,t quick enough with the camera. Regards Allan.W.

I also saw a very very small Common Blue today at Ballard Down near Swanage.
It was darting about - quite difficult to follow, and looked similar in size to a Small Blue or smallish Brown Argus.
Photo attached - sorry but not good quality photo.
Regards, Brian Arnold

Clouded yellow seen at work today (ref. TQ048625). Photo taken on my mate's mobile. First of the year, more to come I hope

Seen yesterday at Brading Down Isle of Wight.

It looks like sightings of Clouded Yellow are increasing and I even had one in my Crawley garden at 11am today. It alighted briefly on Buddleia before being chased off by a Large White. Yesterday a Brown Hairstreak briefly passed through as well

Vince

I saw 121 Small Coppers at Dungeness today including this lovely radiata And this very peculiar one Looks like two different Coppers stuck together! Is it a gynandromorph?

I've put more photos in my diary to aid identification

Cheers

Hoggers

With wonderful weather forecast today I decided to make a go of it at Bookham Commons. I parked by the Hundred Pound Bridge and also like fellow UKB'er Dave Miller I attempted to take the footpath to the west of the bridge. Before I knew it I was at the other end of the common towards the car park at The Approach At least I knew where I was aided by one of the NT leaflets. I took the walk back through the Isle of Wight Plain and among the fleabane and mint was a Clouded Yellow helice form, which I have never seen before.
What a lovely surprise. But I've come to look for a Brownie and by now (noon) I was looking in the blackthorn bushes for females as I am sure the males would have been hiding themselves on the ash. I got back to the car to have a quick lunch then tried again, i.e. followed the footpath west of the bridge. I found it this time alongside the northern edge of Banks Common. After many false alarms with Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns, I eventually found my first ever Brown Hairstreak (female) close-up under a big sallow although there was a tall ash many metres to the east in the hedgerow. It was probably egg-laying as I saw it crawling around on some blackthorn stems at about 2 feet above the ground. Thereafter it settled on a leaf for several minutes (maybe longer) about a foot further up. Unfortunately though, it hardly opened its wings due to the heat.
ATB

Peter

Peter you were right, Brown Hair Streaks have been sighted at Gait Barrow, great news Goldie