www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I had hoped - indeed expected - many reports this summer of immigrants and their offspring. Disappointing.

Jack

It's not been that bad, Jack. We've currently got an influx of Clouded Yellows, whilst Neil Hulme reports unprecedented numbers of Long Tailed Blues.

Painted Ladies have been disappointing. That I'll admit.

I think Jack was referring specifically to swallowtails, David. In Switzerland, at least, these had a pretty rough spring brood (first, very dry, then endless rain in April and May). So we didn't have many to share around. I don't know what the situation was like further north in France and the Low Countries.

Guy

I see.

I had no idea till I read the forum category!

Lesson learned!

Managed to see this one in Menorca in August.

A Swallowtail was photographed in Walmer Castle (kitchen garden ) Kent, a few days ago . Allan.W.

There were quite a few in Kent this year, fresh immigrants but some suspected to have overwintered from breeding last year. 1 was recorded egg laying on the Sussex South coast and our own vince had another laying in his south coast pad and someone's just posted a fully grown larvae in their garden in Seaford on Facebook. No doubt lots more went unnoticed, I'd say it's been quite a busy year for them.

Yes ,as you say Bugboy reasonable numbers were noted in Kent earlier on ,and like yourself i was lucky enough to see probably around three at the well publicised spot near the Dover Patrol monument at St. Margarets. I know that a freshly emerged female was released there later on reared from a larvae found in a garden at Whitstable . Many years ago (in the 1930's ) my uncle found a few caterpillars feeding on Carrot tops on his fathers allotment in central Ashford (Kent ) ................ a local collector ............... a doctor ,somehow got wind of these caterpillars and they were sold to him for a half a crown each ............... a helluva lot of money for a small boy at that time ! I believe that there have been a fair few attempts at colonisation over the years ...................surely only a matter of time !
Allan.W.