Red Admiral with a Difference
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Red Admiral with a Difference
It might be stretching things a bit to describe this one as an aberration, but take a close look at the red stripes on the upper wings. In each case a small white dot is evident, something I don't recall observing on a Red Admiral before.
DJT
David...
Now I don't want to draw anything into this, but I've looked through my archives and I've found 2 photos I've taken that show the same white spots on 2 separate individuals in separate years.... and they were both taken in Yorkshire. All of my other pics are from elsewhere and do not show the spots!
Spooky!
Now I don't want to draw anything into this, but I've looked through my archives and I've found 2 photos I've taken that show the same white spots on 2 separate individuals in separate years.... and they were both taken in Yorkshire. All of my other pics are from elsewhere and do not show the spots!
Spooky!
- Mike Young
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Also if you look here http://www.eurobutterflies.com/species_ ... alanta.htm
The second photo down (from Switzerland) has tiny white spots.
Danny
The second photo down (from Switzerland) has tiny white spots.
Danny
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Still looking, and wondering
This thread seems to have dried up of late, but I wonder if the situation has been fully resolved. Since David's initial posting I have been carefully looking at RAs, but I've yet to see one with the white spot - for example, I saw 5 at the weekend and 6 this lunchtime, but none of them show it. Exactly how common is it? 1%? 10%? Are there regional or local variations in the frequency of occurance? Does it vary from year to year? Or through the year? Maybe some of the older books have the answers, but if not, perhaps the users of the forum could contribute to our scientific knowledge by doing a survey next year to come up with some answers. Perhaps Pete can set up some sort of web-form that can be used to enter sightings and displays the results as they come in
Simon C
Simon C
I have been watching butterflies for years and always considered Red Admirals to be one of the most attractive butterflies but have to admit had never noticed the white spots before. So I looked at some photos I had taken this year and was surprised to see white spots on all of the ones taken locally (Derbyshire). However the ones taken in the south this year(Hampshire) had none.
Is it a North / South thing?
Is it a North / South thing?
- Pete Eeles
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Given that Red Admiral are great wanderers, I'm 99.99% certain that this is nothing to do with geography
I personally think that this is one of those relatively-common phenomenon that occur, but that in this case does not have a specific name attached to it. Unlike the "caeruleopunctata" aberration of Small Copper, which is just as common
Cheers,
- Pete
I personally think that this is one of those relatively-common phenomenon that occur, but that in this case does not have a specific name attached to it. Unlike the "caeruleopunctata" aberration of Small Copper, which is just as common
Cheers,
- Pete
- alex mclennan
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I'm looking at a small booklet entitled 'The Red Admiral Butterfly', one of a series of ten produced by BC about ten years ago. Under a photograph of a red admiral is the following caption 'A minor variation which occurs quite commonly concerns the forewing red band. This is normally entire but may be divided into two almost equal parts by a narrow black bar running across it and aligned towards the wing tip. This specimen also has the extra white spot in the forewing band.' The booklet contains no further reference to the white spot.
On looking back through my red admiral pictures, I have some with the 'entire' red band, some with the 'broken' band, some with the white spot and some without the white spot!! There doesn't seem to be any logic to it!
Alex
On looking back through my red admiral pictures, I have some with the 'entire' red band, some with the 'broken' band, some with the white spot and some without the white spot!! There doesn't seem to be any logic to it!
Alex
- Pete Eeles
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What a gorgeous afternoon - with Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Peacock in the garden. Funnily enough, the Red Admiral had the very white dot mentioned in this thread:
... together with a Peacock with a tear under it's eye
All in all, a great time of year to perfect those photography skills
Cheers,
- Pete
... together with a Peacock with a tear under it's eye
All in all, a great time of year to perfect those photography skills
Cheers,
- Pete
- alex mclennan
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The sun took until around 3pm before it emerged around here. Yesterday was better though, and this RA was reasonably happy to be photographed. Note there are no white-in-red spots. I was very surprised at how good condition this specimen was. Yours looks pretty good too, Pete. Late as it is, could they still be emerging?
- Pete Eeles
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