www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Posted on UK-Leps Yahoo! group:

Dear UK friends,

Good to know that in NL there is now an invastion of the Yellow Legged Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis xanthomelas). Three years ago they colonised Finland, one later Sweden and now they reached the Netherlands. Sinds last Thursday we have at least 20-30. But many are only recognised because there is a photo, as it is hard to distinguish from the Large Tortoiseshell.

There is no reason why they should stop at the coast of NL (although there is a lot of water of course in between us and you), but be aware of them. Guess it would be a new species for the UK (it is for NL).

Best wishes,
Chris van Swaay

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Chris van Swaay
Dutch Butterfly Conservation
chris.vanswaay@vlinderstichting.nl
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2 sightings today of 'large' tortoiseshell in East Anglia - at Layer, Essex & Minsmere by the car park. Anyone in the vicinity to check these out tomorrow? I'd be surprised if they were 'just' large torts

Hi jhanlon,
I think you are right to suggest a possible link between these events. I wish I lived closer! If any more apparent Large Tortoiseshell show up I'll be heading east for a few days. Intriguing stuff.
BWs, Neil

I'll be at Minsmere tomorrow to try for the Large/Yellow-legged Tort...anyone have any more info?

Large Tortoiseshell on Isle of Wight at the weekend too?
Kind regards
Mark

This would be an unprecedented UK sighting.

Keep your eyes peeled, everyone!

The weather pattern at the start of last weekend was quite unusual, with a really strong warm east/northeast airflow from the direction of Russia just about reaching eastern parts of the UK, as well as the Low Countries. I would guess that's how these butterflies come to be where they are, and how they may have also reached the east coast. (Jack could probably do a far better analysis than this of the meteorological situation )

Dave

I contacted Minsmere staff earlier and they have photos that they can check tomorrow. If confirmed I'll be heading up to take a look. Meanwhile pls post links to any LT photos from east or South Coast that you come across, they must be around!

David M wrote:This would be an unprecedented UK sighting.

Almost! The one-and-only sighting was in Shipbourne, near Sevenoaks in West Kent on 2nd July 1953.

Cheers,

- Pete

jhanlon wrote:I contacted Minsmere staff earlier and they have photos that they can check tomorrow.

Any chance of getting them posted in this thread, where people who have actually seen the species can comment?

Cheers,

- Pete

We've got one in Norwich. I've seen photos and it's definitely a yellow-legged (I'll try and get permission to post some of them). Unfortunately what's muddying the waters is that we know that a box of butterflies was shaken out at a burial ceremony at a cemetery about half a mile away last wednesday. I was writing it off as coming from there until I heard about the dutch invasion. Now I'm just confused.

HarassedDad wrote:... a box of butterflies was shaken out at a burial ceremony at a cemetery about half a mile away last wednesday.

I can't imagine that such an unusual species would be used for such a thing!

Cheers,

- Pete

They're widely available from stockists (£16.95 for 10 pupae on the web) so I assumed that an order for "50 butterflies-assorted" would be bulked up with cheap species like that, but I'm no expert on this sort of thing.
Here's a couple of photos by Steve Chapman I've permission to post. Taken today, his copyright.

Does anyone know if there were any photographs of the Large Tortoiseshell on the IOW by Andrew Brookes? Not that a LT is not a great sighting in itself but the possibility of Yellow Legged is intriguing if photos are available?
Kind Regards
Mark

Regardless of whether many reach our shores,the sudden spread of this species which,untill a few years ago was rare and declining in eastern Europe,has to be good news!

HarassedDad wrote:They're widely available from stockists (£16.95 for 10 pupae on the web).

Thx - can you remember where you found that? Was it from WWB?:

http://www.wwb.co.uk/yellow-legged-tort ... -10-larvae

Cheers,

- Pete

According to twitter...the RSPB Minsmere individual is "not in a public part of the reserve"

Pete Eeles wrote:

David M wrote:This would be an unprecedented UK sighting.

Almost! The one-and-only sighting was in Shipbourne, near Sevenoaks in West Kent on 2nd July 1953.

Cheers,

- Pete

Wasn't there also one photographed at Dunge a few summers back, initially id'd as Large but then reid'd from photos?

James

JCL wrote:Wasn't there also one photographed at Dunge a few summers back, initially id'd as Large but then reid'd from photos?

Yes - but disputed: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=37609

Cheers,

- Pete

RSPB Minsmere ‏@RSPBMinsmere
Yellow-legged tortoiseshell present for second day. Please ask at visitor centre for details on viewing pic.twitter.com/sh6Sn7owuf