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Hi Jack,

You stated that the dead Tortoiseshell found on the Shetlands had no antennae. Look just above the thorax and you will see that both of them are still attached.

All the best, Nick.

hideandseek wrote:Hi Jack,

You stated that the dead Tortoiseshell found on the Shetlands had no antennae. Look just above the thorax and you will see that both of them are still attached.

All the best, Nick.

Hawk-eye !

I can see the antennae now. But we do seem to agree that it is dead.

Jack

I missed this post yesterday.

It certainly appears to be a yellow-legged tortoiseshell (xanthomelas), which as Jack says is recorded from Finland and even a few places in Sweden. What a very strange discovery in the woodpile. It's not impossible there were others with it, so worth keeping an eye out in April.

Guy

padfield wrote:It certainly appears to be a yellow-legged tortoiseshell (xanthomelas), which as Jack says is recorded from Finland and even a few places in Sweden.

Jack Harrison wrote:I can see the antennae now. But we do seem to agree that it is dead

It might just be stunned, or pining for the fjords...............

Jack Harrison wrote:I can see the antennae now. But we do seem to agree that it is dead.

Not according to the original post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

"Liz Watt it was still alive, we put both of them in the green house when we found them and they have both disappeared, there is another photo of the peacock on the site as well it looks in better condition"

Mike

padfield wrote:...so worth keeping an eye out in April.

Would one emerge this early in a place as cold as the Shetland Isles?

David M wrote:

padfield wrote:...so worth keeping an eye out in April.

Would one emerge this early in a place as cold as the Shetland Isles?

They have been recorded in Moscow In April.

http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesP ... hXanth.htm

Would one emerge this early in a place as cold as the Shetland Isles?

If anything, the winters on Shetland would be TOO mild for their survival - certainly very damp unlike dryer cold Scandinavian winters. It has often been speculated that Camberwell Beauty is unsuited to our mild damp winters so hasn't become established. I presume Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell is similar.

I am currently unsuited to damp winters myself having somehow lost my rain hat - essential in these parts - during a visit to Oban today (dentist).

Jack

Found this item whilst visiting the Gloster Birder web site. Not my sighting but, a Clouded Yellow seen deep in the Forest of Dean ( Glos ) on 30th November 2013.



So, with a few nice days well into December, a Gloucestershire sighting of a Clouded Yellow could be easily on the cards. Latest I've seen them locally is late September, early October.

One of my favourite butterflies along with the Brimstone.

No Red Admirals seen on the Arbutus ( Strawberry Tree ) Blossoms so far. The large potted bush in my garden has put on a fine display of both flowers and ripening fruits this winter. They usually attract any still active Red Admirals most winters.