www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

HI B.saurus,
Your Brimstone image looks remarkably like mine, down amongst the leaf litter!.
Hope to see you out and about.

Best wishes,
TREVOR.

Cracking Brimstone Rex Looks like you're back in the game this season

Have a goodun

Wurzel

trevor wrote:HI B.saurus,
Your Brimstone image looks remarkably like mine, down amongst the leaf litter!.
Hope to see you out and about.

Best wishes,
TREVOR.

Hi Trevor, indeed it does, nearly all of my springtime Brimstone photos are like this one. I'm sure we'll meet when the Orange Tips and Pearls are out "possibly" in a few weeks time.

Best Wishes

B'saurus

Wurzel wrote:Cracking Brimstone Rex Looks like you're back in the game this season

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel, I'm going to give it my best shot, I am busier than ever these days. It's been difficult getting out lately as we've all had a virus.
Not long before the season really starts to get going.

ATB

B'saurus

After seeing my first Brimstones of the year on the 7th, I popped out to see what else was flying close to home. On the 8th I saw my first Small Tortoiseshell of the year.
Then a little later, on the 10th of March I found a few more Small Torts, I usually see them flying with an occasional Peacock but this year 2 of them were cavorting with Red Admirals instead.
It was really good to see some Butterflies again. I hope to add a Peacock and Comma to the list soon.

Here's hoping for a cracking butterfly season.

All the best

B'sarus

Really like the Red Admiral Rex, nice composition Have you invested in the sling yet ready for later in the season?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Unfortunately I've not been able to get out and visit my local haunts as much as I'd like so far this spring. This year I will only be able to post approximately once a month. Hopefully next year I'll be able to contribute a bit more often.

Spring really got going for me this week with my first Orange Tip of 2015 on Tuesday.
Followed by my first Speckled Wood of the year a day later.
Earlier on this week I was taking a stroll along a local bridleway when I noticed a Peacock on the path ahead. As I approached it did not move at all and appeared to be deceased. I don't usually get to admire a Peacock at very close quarters so I stopped to take a close up photo of it's wing. The very moment I finished taking the photo it moved! I can only guess it'd been stunned and was slowly recovering, so I gently picked it up and put it out of harms way, hoping it would make a full recovery.
On Thursday I managed to have a lunchtime stroll near a local village hoping to see my first Holly Blue of the year. I didn't mange that but I did see a couple of Small Tortoiseshell's egg laying.
I watched this particular female (pictured above) laying a good cluster of eggs before moving on. It was very windy here on the South coast yesterday and I didn't have the right lens on my camera but I decided to try and get a photo of the eggs anyway.

As I delicately turned the Nettle leaf to reveal the eggs I noticed a tiny parasitic wasp diligently going from ova to ova injecting an egg of it's own, dooming the poor Caterpillars to a short life and unpleasant end. I did my best to get a decent photo of this drama but the strong wind and fluctuating light levels coupled with the wrong lens made things VERY difficult.

This is the best I could manage.

Hopefully it won't be too long before I see my first Grizzled Skipper and Green Hairstreaks of the year.
Best Wishes

James

Wurzel wrote:Really like the Red Admiral Rex, nice composition Have you invested in the sling yet ready for later in the season?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I sent you a PM the other week Wurzel, did you get it OK?

All the best

James

Thanks to the brighter weather today I ventured back to the spot where I found the Small Tortoiseshell eggs being parasitized last Thursday. My goal was to try and get a better photo of the eggs (with the correct lens this time) Unfortunately the wind was 'if anything' even stronger than last Thursday making macro photography a bit tricky.

Much to my surprise the parasitic wasp was still in residence, I suppose it makes sense that she would guard her genetic investment by standing guard. It was fascinating to realise that she appeared to be living with the Tortoiseshell eggs. She was still busily parasitizing the eggs 2 days after I first found her! It made me wonder if the wasp infests an individual STS ova more than once. Or is it possible that this was a different wasp unaware that these eggs had already been infested? Somehow I think this scenario is unlikely "but I'm certainly no expert" so I would concede that it's possible. If not then I can only surmise that the wasp is using some kind of chemical marker to recognize where she's already been? If any of the experts here can shed some light on this I would love to hear from you.

The parasitic wasp in question was so tiny she was a real challenge to photograph. I have cropped in quite a lot so there is a bit of grain. I completely "maxed out" my lens. unable to get any closer. Perhaps I should invest in some extension tubes!

I'll begin with the photo that I found the most illustrative, here you can clearly see the wasp 'infecting' the STS ova with one of her own eggs.
The following sequence shows the wasp busily going about her grim task.
It's sad to think that virtually this entire cluster of eggs has been parasitized, you can certainly see how this life cycle inspired the film Alien.
Finally here's the photo I went back there to get before I realised that the parasitic wasp was still there.
I hope some of you will find this interesting - I certainly did.

All the best

James

Extremely interesting, Rex. Thanks for posting.

Fascinating Rex. When I used to rear Tortoiseshell and Peacock caterpillars as a boy I was always appalled at the number I'd lose to some very unpleasant parasites. I always thought the young caterpillars had been "stung" before I collected them but now I see from your photographs that even the eggs were not safe

Best wishes

Hoggers

I agree with Hoggers Rex, fascinating stuff if slightly grim viewing for a butterfly enthusiast I did get your PM and I will try and get a reply done soon but at the moment the house (preparing for Lime plastering) and work is taking up most of my time Still once the work is done and the plaster is drying then Ican get out butterflying again just as the Dukes get going strong

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Those really are some truly fascinating pictures Rex.

Many thanks all, not a very pleasant subject, but I suppose it's all part of the life cycle of these beautiful creatures that we spend so much time chasing around.

It is pretty horrific to realise that the eggs can be under attack at the almost the instant they've been laid! I stood and watched this Small Tortoiseshell laying her eggs and in the VERY short time it took me to walk over and have a look the wasp was already there hard at work!! She must have begun even as (the totally oblivious) Small Tort continued to lay.

@ David, I see you're off to a good start over in Wales, I'm still waiting for our spring to really get going here in the South East. I remember it was quite the opposite this time last year.

@ Hoggers, After observing this little parasitic wasp at work 'actually living amongst the eggs' I would be very surprised if any of these Small Tort's will survive. It will be 'boom time' for the parasites while the Small Tort's continue to be prolific. Of course the more the parasites prosper they will likely cause the STS population to crash and - then parasites will follow. An unpleasant business but I suppose it stops butterflies reaching plague proportions..... unfortunately.

@ Wurzel, yes indeed Wurzel a very nasty end for a beautiful insect. I'm glad you received my PM OK, I didn't realize that the plasterers we're still at it! I remember you telling me that they were doing work at your house last year. You must have a very large house. I hope we both see plenty of Dukes. I look forward to your reply.

@ bugboy, Thank you You're most kind, I had real fun trying to get some half decent images amongst the nettles. I was stung in "several places" but the effort was more than worth it. I'd never seen this before and I always feel it's a real privilege to witness a bit of the natural world that so many people never get to see.

My very best wishes to you.

James

James,

Just cathing up with peoples PDs at the moment.

Great macro photographs and images that are not seen too often. It may appear grizzly to some butterfly lovers, but these are an important and much unseen side of what Butterflies have to contend with (not a straight forward journey that some might assume).

Keep em coming.

Regards Kev

Hi James

As others have said great series of pictures documenting the antics of the parasitic wasp I imagine that the eggs in the centre of this egg mass are somewhat protected from the attention of the wasp, so hopefully there will some some survivors at least.

@kevling, Thanks Kev, yes indeed Butterflies are under attack at every stage of their life cycle. Also they have to contend with highly unpredictable weather we get these days. 2 awful springs in a row helped to wipe out the Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries at the Park Corner BC reserve here in East Sussex.

It's certainly a tough life if you're a Butterfly.

@jackz432r, I hope some survive Jack, you would be amazed how this little wasp managed to squeeze herself through the tiniest of gaps. On the bright side I'm sure that the female Tort laid a few more batches of eggs and they can't all have parasitic wasps surely!

Thank you both very much for your kind 'and thoughtful' replies.

Best Wishes

James

FROM HILL TO HILL

On the 22nd I managed to grab a brief afternoon visit over at Mill Hill. The wind was howling that day but Mill Hill can provide some perfect shelter when a wild Easterly is blowing. As soon as I arrived on the lower slopes I was greeted by my first Green Hairstreak of the year, unfortunately it did not stick around for a photo. Soon after that disappointment I found my first Dingy and Grizzled Skippers of the year. The Dingies were VERY fresh and were easy to photograph, however my attention was soon taken by some splendid Grizzlies, seeing as time was short I decided to concentrate on those.
Today I ventured over to Chantry Hill to see if I could find any Green Hairstreaks. It was still quite cool when I arrived with a chilly breeze so it took a little while before they became active. Thankfully I did manage to get a photo of one in reasonable condition, I hope this will be the first of many.
The day became even more enjoyable when a familiar face appeared not long after I arrived.

All the best

James

Lovely photos of the Grizzlies James, we don't see them around here so I'm very envious It's on my to get list Also love your Green Hair Streak
it 's a great shot Goldie

Lovely Grizzlies Rex Still on my 2015 wish list, along with The Green one! Still fingers corssed for the weekend!

Have a goodun

Wurzel