Monarch seen in Brighton

[kentishman]

On one of the insect groups on Facebook someone has posted an image of a Monarch seen in Brighton. I will post the image on here later when I get home tonight.

[MikeOxon]

Good pics already on Neil Hulme's diary! : viewtopic.php?t=4065&start=2080#p100958

[kentishman]

Thanks! message to self - must read the diaries more often

[Neil Hulme]

Brighton Monarch Update

Confirmation of several different specimens of Monarch over the last week (including two individuals in Pavilion Gardens in the last two days), within a small area of Brighton, now makes this look increasingly like an inappropriate and irresponsible release. Multiple sightings alone do not preclude a natural origin, but unless they are observed along a wider stretch of coastline, the weight of evidence now counts against them. They may make an impressive sight, but this sort of behaviour cannot be condoned. However, the White-letter Hairstreaks continue to put on a good show in Pavilion Gardens, and there are stacks of Purple Emperor out across most of West Sussex and the northern part of East Sussex at the moment.

I met quite a few enthusiasts today in Brighton, and took some lovely images of Monarch, but won't be showing them for obvious reasons.

BWs, Neil

[MrSp0ck]

The 99p shops have been selling Asclepias tuberosa for several years now [ 3 for 99p], so the foodplant is not as rare as people think. so its possible that local breeding could occur, in which case a local population could occur, without the wider influx of adults. This is often seen with Clouded Yellows, where the offspring of an early female, patrol in the same area. The storms last week were also good for migrants.