www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks David and Pete,
I was going to go back, when I get more time and edit my personal diary and make some picture compilations (of more than one picture), to reduce picture file numbers.
Sweet Rocket
Hesperis matronalis is an herbaceous plant species in the family Brassicaceae.
Being in the Brassica (Brassicaceae) family, this plant made it into my list of butterfly species conservation plants, that had some use, companion planted with some wild, native plants (the ones with slowly evolved wildlife dependence). I wasn’t sure how successful an Orange-tip (OT) female was in raising a brood there. Here was a Large Brassica White Larva, I found this morning, showing signs, it had munched the leaves: In my Orange-tip (OT) video lacking 2020 images, the Garlic Mustard (Garlic M) seed pods that developed the OT larva so quickly, were left standing in water (like cut flowers).
Lincoln Spring 2020 (April/May, it had been dryer than average (after a very wet winter). Garlic M that was seen recently in a dryer location, a small OT larva had retreated to a leaf nearest the lower developing seed pods of that plant.
OT were typically seen near water courses. Garlic mustard was found on river banks, where it sent down tap roots, for needed water.
Kind Regards

Jobs for the weekend (July 11-12th 2020), included collecting Garlic Mustard (Garlic M) Seed. Seed pods turned pale yellow or brown, splitting when black or dark brown seed was mature. Store in a dry conditions, open pot until seeds were dried out.
It usually germinated quite easily. Young plants often appeared in early Spring. This plant was primarily for life cycles of:
Orange-tip wanting a spring brassicaceae (brassica family, but not necessarily namely related for human consumption of plant) flower head to lay it’s eggs on.
Green-veined White
Large “Brassicacious”White
Small “Cruciferous” White
Garlic M thrived if in a wet, nutritious, part shade.
Summer (July/August) broods liked first year large leaves (plants that hadn’t “bolted” to flower).
Many gardeners, by now might have removed unsightly (aesthetically unappealing to some) seed heads before they ripened, so consider planting in less “kept” areas (or in pots), to give the Orange-tip pupa a chance to over-winter, as it wasn’t camouflaged, to help it avoid a garden tidy-up!
Kind Regards,

"Gatekeeper" or "Hedge Brown" ?
Having a vivid imagination, there was something about the romance of the name "Gatekeeper" that stuck, and those walks through arable fields where the butterfly was met at a stile or gate in the boundary hedge.
Having said that, a gate keeper (like a lock keeper) was a persons job, depending on what type of gate it was, so the name might have been inappropriate. As the name "Gatekeeper" told one little about the butterflies life cycle requirements and a need for many to be educated to help the species, my err, was away from that name, but hopefully towards something a little less "boring" than "Hedge Brown".
This year I wanted to share a couple of pictures to do with their timings, also for me to remember personally, about the same seasonal time, another year: Kind Regards

PhilBJohnson wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 9:03 am "Gatekeeper" or "Hedge Brown" ?

Interesting one, isn't it, Phil?

I've clung on to the name Hedge Brown purely because that's what I called them as a kid and old habits die hard....

That said, when in Europe I use Spanish/Southern Gatekeeper, as there are no alternatives for those, but equally, being non-British species, they are not associated with being encountered at stiles/gates in arable fields, so the name 'Gatekeeper' has merely been carried forward to describe other similar butterflies in that particular group.

Great shot of the pair in cop Phil I've always tried to call it a Hedge Brown or 'Hedgie' as that's what both my sets of Grandparents called it However during Brown Hairstreak season I call it either a False-streak or a Little $@%£ depending on how it behaves

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

A remade Red Admiral video clip from 2017
https://youtu.be/basKvkdx4PY

PhilBJohnson wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 6:28 pm A remade Red Admiral video clip from 2017
https://youtu.be/basKvkdx4PY

I love these short clips, Phil, especially the slow motion flight shots.

Interesting that the butterfly keeps coming back to the purple part of the compost bag. I wonder whether it thinks it's a flower?

"Science of the Cabbage Whites"
Social Science
There might have been a Butterfly Conservationist that enthusiastically bred many "Cabbage Whites", but was harassed by neighbours who saw the species as unwanted vegetable pests and not wanted in their locality.
The result was a less examined science.
There might have been, a "pest & disease control expert", who followed closely, leading science of a "Cabbage White Butterfly Enthusiast" to better work out how to best exterminate individuals or control a species from crop attack by "Cabbage Worm".
Then there might have been a "public face" of a Species Conservationist that broadcast native Cabbage White wildlife as unwanted pests, in a knowledge that "Cabbage Whites" were common species under least threat of extinction, but privately and less controversially, quite liked Cabbage Whites.
One thought was, if studying the Cabbage Whites, to offer a sympathetic ear to allotment holders and provide ones own preventative measures to crop attack.
Poly or Micro-mesh netting?
Crops under Polythene sped up a life cycle by warming, and was a preferred pupation place for a larva that walked there. Crops under a micro-mesh netting and frame, stopped egg laying Cabbage White butterflies from doing it where they were not wanted and were less prone to being blown away by strong winds.
Autumn Brood Pieris rapae
September 19th was recorded as an ovipositing (egg laying) day of a "Small Cabbage White" on West facing Aubretia (Afternoon direct sunlight, in morning shade).
Winter Gardening
It was thought that over-wintering larva had a high concentration of "body salts" that helped it not freeze solid and that it would not attempt to pupate (or successfully pupate) until general air temperatures reached about 15ºC, or were stable above 10ºC, probably in February or March, if it survived that long in micro-climatic and/or climate changed warmth.
It was understood that an autumn Cabbage White brood, on evergreen ground cover in the brassicaciae family, had been less publicly observed than a summer brood, which completed it's life cycle faster, in hotter temperatures.

Kind Regards,

Philip B Johnson

Succisa pratensis (Devils-bit scabious, or DBS for short) Looking back at 2020
It was thought that DBS preferred acidic or neutral clay soils more, rather than chalk or limestone (Field scabious).
I grew native DBS to flowering size, in ordinary compost, in a garden this year, after buying plug plants and seeds in 2019, rather than, adventure out to see the Marsh Fritillary species, that had evolved to depend on DBS, in certain localities. Small Tortoiseshell (ST) butterflies enjoying scabious more than, or instead of Red Valerian.
This was my favourite ST picture of 2020, as I felt lucky to compose both upper and underside of the species, on the same flower!

This was how the Small white larvae might overwinter on evergreen aubretia.
As far as I was aware, it did not go round as an overwintered larvae on cabbages or nasturtiums in Lincolnshire.
My Nasturtiums were “frosted” Dec/Jan 21,(native to South and Central America)
Evergreen Aubretia (still in the brassicaceae family) was said to be native to southern Europe and central Asia and could survive frosts and snow.
 This was a picture I took on Jan 28th 2021 (Today) 8ºC weather app.
It was thought that it would have enough energy to pupate when the “warm, Springlike" weather arrived and from my observations, the 5th instar larvae would start a pupation process, on the warmer days (15ºC+,even in winter).
It had survived weather app night time temperatures of about -5ºC, although being located about 1m from the house, it might be microclimatically warmer there.
I didn’t know if the larva hostsed overwintered parasites, was that possible?
When I was monitoring a pupa last year, another three appeared in the late February or March, when the weather warmed up.
I hoped that overwintering Pieris rapae larvae (rather than pupae) can be confirmed independently by others. Kind Regards,

Philip

Updated Brimstone butterfly species video, available from this link:

https://youtu.be/mhLyZMAo0vw

If someone has a picture of a wild Brimstone pupa they would like to contribute, I would be happy to add it and put the credit at the end (in the credits),

Kind Regards

Garlic Mustard (Garlic M) Biennial in ones own Garden March 17th 2021
Garlic M could be recognised as having a slightly glossy leaf. It was a native United kingdom plant in the brassicaceae family, that our native butterfly species, had slowly evolved dependancies with and was used by at least four of the Pieridae (White) family.
In Lincolnshire, having collected GM seed last July and sowed in February after cold east wind weather system, many seeds had germinated. If you have Garlic M Seed from last year, it might be advisable to sow very soon. It liked to germinate after a cold period.
Once White butterfly caterpillars had dispersed from host plant in 2020, May/June (Large white Larva, left an Orange tip larva alone), GM seedlings from the same year, were, a nice leaf food source, on there journey there, or elsewhere.
At this time of year, second year Garlic Mustard was growing fast and it was considered a good time to pot it up, while the leaves were still relatively small, before it attempted to flower in about 1 months time A self watering pot (with raised internal holes was suitable), or stood on a water tray.
These plants naturally liked part shade and wet compost but could be moved to a well watered, sunny position, to attract more attention from an ovipositing female Orange Tip butterfly in late April/May.
Companion Planting them with white flowering Sweet Rocket, was like waving a flag for the Orange Tip butterfly, to go there.
Garlic M flowers looked beautiful in May, average in June when Orange tip larva were maturing eating seedpods and less aesthetically appealing in July when the plant looked to be dying.
Remember to wait for seed collection and remember the Orange tip pupae were camouflaged on flora left from June to April the following year, so be mindful not to weed the plants they were on by mistake. If in doubt, position Garlic Mustard in a location, where it might be left undisturbed by naive weeders.
"The Orange-tip butterfly species overwintered as pupae, having entered pupaetion in midsummer. For many butterflies to complete their life cycles, perennials and scrub in long grass, needed to remain uncut in late summer and unweeded in early Spring, for the butterflies to successfully emerge from camouflaged pupae."

PhilBJohnson wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 7:51 am Updated Brimstone butterfly species video, available from this link:

https://youtu.be/sR9wbkyXVKI

That's another great little video, Phil. Seeing those slow motion flight sequences just makes me yearn even more for this cloud to disappear (I haven't seen a Brimstone so far during March).

Good to see you managed to capture a mating pair. They don't come around too often.

Gardening
I was happy to witness the wings visibly developing of this UK native Pieris Brassicae pupa.
I noticed that it had pupated at about the end of November/beginning of December 2020, where nasturtiums (the larval food plant) had not yet been frosted, under south facing porch (but still outside).
Without human intervention, I thought that this one had practically made it!
The picture was rotated through 90%.
Interesting to note that the larva had not chosen, the faster heat conducting pebble dash (stone), but was on the slower heat conducting (warmer).wooden window frame or seal. Kind Regards

PhilBJohnson wrote: ↑Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:09 amThis is the new link of updated version, which better credits the photographer of that picture (the old link was broken):
https://youtu.be/mhLyZMAo0vw

Thanks, Phil...and also for that beautiful image of the Large White pupa - very attractive indeed.

Peacock butterfly "hares after" Bumble bee, preview
recorded March 30th 2021

https://youtu.be/X8CjUXLHX0g

That's quite some footage, Phil. I didn't realise they would pursue bumblebees that persistently. Love these slo-mo's.

Thankyou for the feedback, David.

March 30th 2021 "Flight Clashes"
"Peacock & Small Tortoiseshell butterflies emerged from hibernation and needed to find a mate to pass on to the next generation. Males were more aggressive than females in defending temporary, territorial airspace in afternoon temperatures above 15ºC.
This video is youtube unlisted, available to view from this link:

https://youtu.be/pKVBL-x_zJ0

All my youtube platformed videos made by me, are suitable content for kids.

Kind Regards

April 18th, Lincolnshire
Speckled Wood, first one that I saw, that had emerged from over-wintered pupa. 26th April
It was nice to have a male Holly blue butterfly visit our wild flower patch today, preferring forget-me-not nectaring to Wall Flowers.
This one had probably emerged from over-wintered pupa, under native ivy. Kind Regards

PhilBJohnson wrote: ↑Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:48 pm...It was nice to have a male Holly blue butterfly visit our wild flower patch today, preferring forget-me-not nectaring to Wall Flowers.

Lovely, Phil. Never seen one on forget-me-nots before.

He's a really dark shade of blue as well...almost mazarine!