11 October 2015
© Vince Massimo and Peter Eeles
Citation: Massimo, V. and Eeles, P. (2015). Notes and Views, Issue 4 - May to August 2015 [Online]. Available from http://www.dispar.org/reference.php?id=111 [Accessed April 29, 2024].

Download PDF
(3.46 MB)

Abstract: This edition of Notes and Views provides a summary of interesting items posted on UK Butterflies and other media between 1st May and August 31st 2015.

Paul Harfield reported a Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) ovipositing on Hebe, an unusual foodplant for this species: "In what would seem to be a great year for Holly Blue, they have been constant visitors to my garden over the last few weeks. They seem to find a large Hebe bush irresistible both for nectaring and basking. On Saturday I spotted a female spending longer than normal on one of the flower heads. On closer inspection I could see she was probing between the florets with her abdomen looking for a place to lay. Upon examination afterwards I found a single egg. The individual florets are now open on this flower head and are normally fairly shortlived. They will probably be finished by the time this egg hatches. Is this a recognized foodplant for this species? Does the fact that it has been laid on this plant automatically mean that the larva will be happy here?".

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) ovum Image © Paul Harfield

Mark Pike made the following observation: "A very bizarre sight on Fontmell Down, Dorset today. At first I thought this was just a mating pair of Meadow Browns with a challenger trying to 'muscle in' but to my complete surprise just after I had taken these images all THREE flew off together joined at the mating point!! I have personally never seen a butterfly mating threesome of any kind. Could be one reason why Meadow Browns are so common?!".

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) Pairing Image © Mark Pike	Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) Pairing Image © Mark Pike

A reported influx of Long-tailed Blues (Lampides boeticus) into Brittany and Belgium in August suggested the possibility of this species appearing on our shores once more. Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions, the first Long-tailed Blue (L. boeticus) sighting (a female) in the south east of England was made by Bill Plumb at Landseer Park, Ipswich on 9th August. Another sighting was made by UK Butterflies member "riswey" in their garden in Sevenoaks, Kent on 14th August. Yet another (a female) was photographed by Francis Plowman at Browndown, near Gosport, Hampshire on 18th August and another (again, a female) photographed by Patrick Jefferies in Weymouth on 29th August. Then two sightings from Sussex were reported: one (a female) was photographed in a Worthing garden by Gavin and Nicky Baxter on 28th and 29th August and another individual turned up in a Seaford garden on 30th August.

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) Image © Bill Plumb	Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) Image © 'riswey'

Dave Miller made the following observation: "Bizarre three-way Grayling (Hipparchia semele) mating seen at Dawney's Hill, Surrey today. All three butterflies (two males and a female) were firmly joined together. At one point, they took off and flew in tandem".

Grayling (Hipparchia semele) Pairing Image © Dave Miller	Grayling (Hipparchia semele) Pairing Image © Dave Miller

Michael Skelton pointed out an item from the Natura Mediterraneo forums which appears to document possible Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus) courtship.

UK Butterflies member "Greenie" reported a Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) ovipositing on Heather, an unusual foodplant for this species. Michael Skelton noted "As I live in an area where heathland is common, I have often observed Holly Blues ovipositing on heather, always Ling (Calluna) and never the other heathers. I have always thought that this was because they choose to lay among unopened flower buds and the Erica species, which flower earlier, are unsuitable. I have bred them through without problems. The purple marked form of the larva is perfectly camouflaged among the flowers of heather".

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)	Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) Ovum

A Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) was photographed by T. Morris at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe, Kent on 22nd July. More photos of the same sighting were posted by Dave Brown on UK Butterflies.

Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) Image © Dave Brown

A Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia) was sighted by Ricky Fairhead at Fritton Lake Country Park, Norfolk on 18th and 19th July.

Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia) Image © Ricky Fairhead

Freshly emerged Brimstones (Gonepteryx rhamni) appeared on the wing, which is not unusual in itself, but a female from the previous generation was seen still ovipositing at Mill Green Common, Essex on 17th July, as reported by "Essex Bertie".

A Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia) was reported roosting on the Cherbourg to Poole ferry on 13th July by Tom Brereton. As the ETA was 21.45 it is not known whether the butterfly would have had time to disembark before the ferry returned to Cherbourg!

Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia) Image © Tom Brereton

A Monarch (Danaus plexippus) was seen in the Brighton Pavilion gardens on 7th July by Bob Eade. It was reportedly seen flying in off the sea the previous day. However, it emerged that there were two different individuals photographed in the gardens on 10th July (including the original). It is now thought that these butterflies are the result of a release as explained by Neil Hulme.

Male Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Image © Bob Eade

Richard Carter observed a very late Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) Image © Richard Carter

A female Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus) was seen ovipositing on everlasting pea in a garden near Exeter.

Female Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)

A Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) was photographed by Trevor Rapley at Litlington, East Sussex on 4th July.

Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) Image © Trevor Rapley

A spectacular partial gynandromorph of a Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus) seen at Penhale Dunes in Cornwall on 20th June. It is a combination of 3/4 male and 1/4 female. A photo was posted on Twitter by @leafminers as well as a video clip on YouTube by John Chapple.

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus) gynandromorph Image © Lee Slaughter

A female Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) exhibiting the characteristics of the Irish subspecies (ssp. hibernica) was seen on the Isle of Mull by Jack Harrison.

Female Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) Image © Jack Harrison

A very, unusual inter-species pairing photographed by Theresa Lux at Friston Gallops, East Sussex on 6th June, of a male Adonis Blue (Polyommatus bellargus) and a female Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus).

Inter-species pairing Image © Theresa Lux

An unusual inter-species pairing of a male Brown Argus (Aricia agestis) and female Adonis Blue was observed by Mike Skittrall on the Isle of Wight.

Inter-species pairing Image © Mike Skittrall

The website of the Sussex Branch of Butterfly Conservation carried a report from Dave Harris in Newhaven, East Sussex on 15th May concerning the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) eggs and larvae he was monitoring. The eggs were laid between 29th November and 2nd December 2014 and by 7th January 2015 he reported that there were good numbers of both first instar caterpillars and unhatched eggs. The last of the eggs had hatched by 23rd January 2015. On 15th May 2015 he reported that "the last of five overwintering Red Admiral (V. atalanta) caterpillars under observation hatched (into an adult butterfly) today ... This originated from eggs laid on 2nd December, so about five and a half months from egg to butterfly".

An amazing image captured by Neil Freeman of a female Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) ovipositing in his Solihull garden on 15th May 2015.

Ovipositing Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) Image © Neil Freeman