Black Admiral

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:01 pm

Seen today myself and BryanH today at Straights Inclosure, Alice Holt.

Martin.

Gruditch · Post by **Gruditch** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 5:29 pm

Wow, I bet that had you guessing for a while.

Gruditch

Bryan H · Post by **Bryan H** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 6:07 pm

I think it would have done, Gruditch!

Fortunately an old hand was among the six of us who gathered round this specimen.

It was good to have bumped into Mike Young. Mike, the 'black' admiral posed plenty more after you left us!

Does anyone know the scientific name for this aberrent form?

Bryan

Mike Young · Post by **Mike Young** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 6:30 pm

Just my luck Bryan ! I did get one shot for the record though

Was very nice to meet Martin and yourself this morning

Rogerdodge · Post by **Rogerdodge** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 6:56 pm

That is a butterfly with a definate wow factor - well done!
Roger Harding

Post by **Padfield** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:16 pm

The pure black form is ab. nigrina Weymer, 1884. Other forms, with more or less white on, have other names. Yours looks pretty good for ab. obliterae. I've never seen any of them and it gives me a real thrill to look at these pictures!

A useful site for forms and aberrations is the Cockayne site. You will find white admiral here:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-cur ... ES=camilla

Guy

Bryan H · Post by **Bryan H** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:12 pm

I think that's nailed it, Guy!

Mind you, however useful those Cockayne illustrations are, it's another argument for having 'real' images on the species pages

Bryan

alex mclennan · Post by **alex mclennan** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:09 am

Anyone visiting Fermyn Woods should keep an eye out for ab. obliterae which are regularly seen there. This pic was taken two years ago. (I may have posted it at that time - if so, apologies!)

Alex

Trev Sawyer · Post by **Trev Sawyer** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:38 am

Yes, Fermyn Woods is where the 'abberant' photo I took (in the main section about White Admirals) was taken... and there was at least one other specimen on the wing there at the same time. I think Pete told me this form may be caused by temperature fluctuations during the pupal stage. With the weird summer we have had so far, there may be a few more about this season.

Trev