www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I witnessed a painted lady ovipositing in the garden today and subsequently located about a dozen ova on thistles growing in my lawn (embarrassing admission regarding the condition of my lawns!). Might be worth checking out any thistles as it looks as if we are in for another (partial?) brood.

Cheers,

Felix.
(I did post this under 'Painted Lady Influx' but then decided to start new thread. Apologies for repeating)

Just had a little more of a look around, and discovered 38 ova on young Burdock (arctium) plants growing on a hedge bank, together with 7 on Broad Leaved Plantain (Plantago major) again on the back lawn.

I knew that arctium was a recorded larval food plant, but plantain??

Felix.

Hi Felix,
I've also seen them laying on Hemp Agrimony of late. I'm sure we will see another UK brood emerging in the autumn. With reference to those swarms of Painted Ladies I reported seeing recently on the Downs near Brighton (discovered by others and initially estimated as 120,000 strong), we have since re-calculated the area they occupied (100,000 square metres, rather than 60,000 sq.m) by using satellite images. I have also been shown video footage of them on the day they were first discovered, and before they undoubtedly started to thin out! Numbers of this magnitude are incredibly difficult to assess accurately, but I suspect this area fledged in the region of 0.25 million butterflies!
Neil

Hi,

Any of that video footage available on the web ?

Would be very interesting to see that vast number of PL's.

Cheers

Hi Jerry,
I will see what I can do (I've only watched it on the back of the guy's camera). I've requested a copy, but it's probably not his highest priority, as butterflies are only of a passing interest to him - he's a top 'birder'.
Neil