It ain't arf 'ot, mum
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:18 pm
I thought I'd like to point out for forum posterity really that its blooming hot in the summer of 2018. North-east Hampshire (where I live) has seen no real rain for over 6 weeks now to my recollection (as of 18th July) and I don't see any forecast for it soon either. Apparently it was the driest June on record - as my garden lawn will testify - and we have been hitting 30 degrees quite often.
What has this meant for our butterflies round here? Well, all the species that emerged around the beginning of this heat-wave and lived through it seem to be doing well. The Silver Studded Blues had an excellent year round here as did the Purple Emperors and Purple Hairstreaks. The heat brought the Purple Hairstreaks down quite a lot too. But there are worries about those that appear later in the year, for example the latter-brood Small Coppers, because their larval food plants seemed to have turned to hay.
If you have any updates from your area, especially which species have been impacted and how, it might be nice to keep track so we know what to expect in future if climate change is heading us in that direction...
What has this meant for our butterflies round here? Well, all the species that emerged around the beginning of this heat-wave and lived through it seem to be doing well. The Silver Studded Blues had an excellent year round here as did the Purple Emperors and Purple Hairstreaks. The heat brought the Purple Hairstreaks down quite a lot too. But there are worries about those that appear later in the year, for example the latter-brood Small Coppers, because their larval food plants seemed to have turned to hay.
If you have any updates from your area, especially which species have been impacted and how, it might be nice to keep track so we know what to expect in future if climate change is heading us in that direction...