www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Well done Chris! I know from personal experience just how frustrating that can be but nevertheless, still a great sequence of shots there. Thanks for letting us know the outcome

Fantastic images even though it caught out - I reckon it waited until you were sleeping Still a miraculous looking butterfly

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Sublime stuff, Chris.

I'd be happy just to see an adult of this species, let alone follow the emergence from pupation.

Thanks Pauline, Wurzel and David.

Still on the topic of the Two-tailed Pasha, here is a bit more.

Whereas the overwintering stages of the TTP tend to spread the life cycle out, the summer brood is different.
In the space of 5 days or more the egg stage plays out:

May 23rd. Egg completely yellow = laid less than 24 hours previous. May 24th. Egg with dark crown. May 28th at 10 am: May 28th at 5 pm. The cat eating its egg shell. May 29th Chris

More great images Chris with interesting details to accompany. Having just spent 50+ hours (on and off) watching the antics of my Dukes I could do with seeing something evolving a bit quicker . Your posts are a refreshing change to the norm

Crickey Chris they're weird looking little things - they remind of the monsters from the Tremors movie

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Amazing how quickly the larva emerges from the date the ovum was laid (it's not exactly the smallest larva either!)

Hi Pauline, Wurzel and David. Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.

Here is a short sequence of Essex Skipper photos from the south of France.
They are much less common down here than Lulworth Skippers. I made the most of overcast conditions to get a decent set.
Hope I've got the ID right. The diffused black wing borders in these photos appear more distinctive than in Pete's book.
Chris

I find Essex Skippers to be more dusky in the south of France than in the UK, Chris. I guess they'll be emerging over here any day now.

Thanks David.

After umpteen attempts to capture Swallowtail pupation, and having missed it by a matter of minutes each time through distraction, here it is.
To avoid boredom, I have condensed my sequence here down to one image in five.
This is a European Swallowtail, end of third voltin, so the pupa will over-winter.
The essential part of the sequence lasts less than 10 minutes.
03 October. Chris

You nailed it this time, Chris. Well done. That's a phenomenal sequence.