Comma aberrations

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi all,

I said the other day that I'd noticed a lot of variation in the colour of Comma's since I've been in Somerset. Look what I found today.....

I couldn't see anything like it on the Cockayne database on the NHM website, any ideas?

Also, I think this dark individual is ab. neole?

While this one really looks like Hutchinson's to me. Has anyone seen Hutchinson's outside of June and July?

Normal Comma for comparison:

Cheers

Lee

[Piers]

Hi Lee,

The butterfly in the first images is very interesting, maybe ab. castanea I shall get back to you on that one...

The second one, neole is a good call...

Interestingly I have had several f. hutchinsoni in the garden over the past week. If the weather holds they should lay...

Felix.

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Lee,

The butterfly in the first images is very interesting, maybe ab. castanea I shall get back to you on that one...

The second one, neole is a good call...

Interestingly I have had several f. hutchinsoni in the garden over the past week. If the weather holds they should lay...

Felix.

Many thanks Felix. Be really interested to know about the first one.

Cheers

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

The butterfly in the first images is very interesting, maybe ab. castanea I shall get back to you on that one...

Hi Felix,

I know you'll be a busy man with your new role, but did you have any joy with the Comma ab?
Thanks,
Lee

[Piers]

My sincere apologies Lee H, I was just trolling through the sightings for this year and discovered that I never replied to your request!

Your (very nice) photographs are of the Comma ab. obscura, first described in 1916 as having 'broad, dark marginal bands on both fore and hind wings, without the yellowish marginal spots'. This description fits your comma to a tee.

Lee, please could we use it on the Species Pages? if you could dump the images into the Species Specific Albums I would be grateful.

With kind regards,

Felix.

[Lee Hurrell]

No problem Felix, thank you for replying though

Of course, feel free to use them. I will post them into the album now.

EDIT - all done. Thanks again Felix!

Best regards

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

I was just going though some photos from last year and came across another unusual looking Comma.

The yellow marks in the marginal areas have been separated. This one was at Bernwood Forest in July.

Felix, any ideas?

Thanks

Lee