www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I encountered a male Chalk Hill Blue at Therfield Heath in July with a small spherical white object on the front of its thorax. Has anybody got a suggestion as to what it might be? As an aside many of the Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns at this site had red mites.

Could this be a marbled white egg? Apparently, these are thrown about with gay abandon by the female, rather than being attached to anything. Might this chalkhill blue have caught one? The colour is not perfect (not white enough), unless the egg has been there for some time or been picked up by the blue accidentally after it had already aged.

See http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... s=galathea

Guy

Thank you Guy, a very plausible suggestion. Marbled Whites were about in good numbers at the time and the size seems about right. This image shows the shape of the object a bit better and is also consistent with the description on the UKB webpage.

While I find the suggestion inspirational, I would disagree on the basis that:

1. Marbled White ova are more spherical (not oblong).

2. Marbled White ova are more white (not a pale white), even if they are freshly-laid.

3. And, by the way, and despite the literature, I do not believe that Marbled White lay when "in flight". I've made a concerted effort this year to watch them ovipositing and they only ever do this when they land. Admittedly, the eggs drop to the ground, but they do stop while they oviposit. So this Chalk Hill would have to have been directly below the Marbled White ... not impossible.

Having said all of that, I do agree that it looks like an egg (and is about the right size), but I'm not up to speed on potential parasites.

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Wolfson, Guy and Pete,

I think this is a globule of meconium, ejected from the newly emerged female. I've seen this happen before in several species of butterfly and moth during coupling - and it's the right colour for Chalk Hill Blue meconium.

BWs, Neil

I would never have thought of that!! The only meconium I have seen has been entirely fluid.

If you're right, Neil, this globule tells a story worthy of Greek myth. The male attended the emerging female and seduced her before she had even taken her first flight. In divine retribution for his precipitous act he is doomed to carry her embryonic waste for the rest of his days ...

Guy

If we could get a video recording next time, that would be marvellous

Brilliant thread, and food for thought!

Cheers,

- Pete

Agreed, a great thread, thank you for your thoughts.

Could this be another example of a globule of meconium, this time on the abdomen of a male Adonis Blue?

You've taken it to another level Wolfson! I just love this sort of stuff where folk actually take notice, learn something new and then share it. Great work!