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A single obliterae White Admiral has been seen on Bookham Common in Surrey today. Last year I saw several at various sites, but I suspect the 2010 summer was exceptional. This is the first obliterae I've heard of this year (I didn't get to see it!) and I was wondering, what's the general consensus on why the form arises, and how common has the abberation been this year?

Cheers,

Gibster.

I have sent you a PM Gibster.

Hi
I saw numbers of these last year at Alice Holt including four different specimens in one day.
I think Matthew Oates has reported one from here this year although I haven't seen any and the overall numbers of WA's here seem less than the last two years - although I guess ther is still some time yet.
From my reading and in the Thomas/Lewington book it indiates that this form, and Nigrina are caused by temperature shock in the pupal stage and have been obtained in captivity by putting pupa in the fridge.
Hope this is useful
Mark T

There's a great photo on the Sussex Butterfly Conservation Sightings web page of a White Admiral at Botany Bay that "seems to have lost its stripes" (by Maggie and Steve East).

http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.html