Meadow brown variation

[Dave McCormick]

Based on what Alexander said on July sightings about gatekeeper variation, I had a look at the meadow brown photos IU took over the past two years and noticed variation in them:

This one has a small spot below the big ocelli (eye spot) on underside of forewing which I have not noticed on other meadow brown since that was same as this one. Also this has two spots on hidwing (if you look carefully, you can see them)


Another one, looks slightly greyer than usual, had the normal eyespot on top underside forewing:


This one I noticed was a male, but a littler smaller than usual, found a few of te smaller males on a small wildflower patch:


This is a bad image and I don't usually post such a bad image online, but this meadow brown looked a little strange on upperside, I doubt the pale patches are to do with age since they are on both sides of wings so is this an aberration?:


I know brown butterflies with a lot of ocelli can be variable, less so is speckled wood. Common ones are ringlet, meadow brown and gatekeepers in UK.

[Eris]

I've been noticing the ones in my garden this weekend do seem to differ

Rather tatty but the patches on each wing matched.

Same butterfly but with wings closed

A different butterfly that was not faded

And this one which although looked like a meadow brown and was the size of a good sized meadow brown has two spots, so is it a pale coloured gatekeeper?

I have noticed that my pale coloured ones seem to have a bit paler coloured body as well compared to my normals.

[Vince Massimo]

Hi all,

I have been seeing pale Meadow Browns all season. Here is a photo of one at Steyning Rifle Range, Sussex taken on 17 August. Although it has seen a bit of wear and tear this should not completly account for its pale colour. I have also noticed that all of the pale ones are female.

I also attach a normal coloured individual by way of comparison and also to show that some have double eye-spots. This was taken at Oaken Wood/Botany Bay, Sussex on 16 July.

Eris, your last photo is definately a female Meadow Brown.

In case anybody is wondering, both photos were taken with my new Canon Powershot G10 which I am very happy with. However I have yet to make full use of its potential. Thanks to Pete and Eccles for their recommendations.

Cheers,

Vince

[Vince Massimo]

Just reviving this old chestnut. (Do you see what I did there?). Here is another rather extreme variation of a Meadow Brown female photographed today at my local site, Quarry Hangers Reserve, Chaldon, Surrey.

Female Meadow Brown variant

This is also being posted on the June 2010 sightings page and will go in the species album.

Vince.