Dispar
The Online Journal of Lepidoptera
ISSN 2056-9246
The Online Journal of Lepidoptera
ISSN 2056-9246
Abstract: This edition of Notes and Views provides a summary of interesting items posted on UK Butterflies and other media between 1st January and 30th April 2017.
Early Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) Sighting22 January 2017 (Source) |
A reasonably cold winter has kept unseasonal sightings to a minimum so far. However an early Speckled Wood usually pops up somewhere in the southern or south-western counties at this time. On this occasion one was spotted in Paignton, Devon on 22nd January. Reported on Twitter here.
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| Speckled Wood (male) Image © Neil Freeman (Library Photo) |
Early Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) Sighting16 February 2017 (Source) |
An early Holly Blue was photographed near Porthcurno, Cornwall on 16th February by Jerry Dennis. Reported on Twitter here.
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| Holly Blue Image © Nick Ballard (Library Photo) |
Early Large White (Pieris brassicae) Sightings20 February 2017 (Source) |
There were several early sightings of Large White. One was seen in Kent on 16th February and the other in East London on 20th February. Reported on Twitter here.
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| Large White (male) Image © Dave Miller (Library Photo) |
2014 Scarce Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis xanthomelas) Sighting09 March 2014 (Source) |
A historic sighting of Scarce Tortoiseshell has now been discovered in old images. The report comes from Peter Willmott, who photographed a Scarce Tortoiseshell at Salcey Forest, Northants on 9th March 2014. This date implies that the butterfly overwintered here and must have arrived in the UK during the summer of 2013, thus pre-dating the observed main influx of this species into Britain in 2015.
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| Scarce Tortoiseshell Image © Peter Willmott |
A Rare Sighting of Mating Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)13 March 2017 (Source) |
An unusual sighting of a mating pair of Small Tortoiseshells was made by Neil Hulme at Ferring Rife, Sussex on 13th March. This was reported on BC Sussex Twitter here.
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| Mating Small Tortoiseshell Image © Neil Hulme |
Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) Sightings09 April 2017 (Source) |
A female Large Tortoiseshell was photographed by Neil Hulme at North Stoke (near Amberley), Sussex on 28th March, as reporting in his UKB personal diary here. Another individual, this time a male, was photographed in the same location on 3rd April by Paul Atkin as reported in his UKB personal diary here. Yet another male was spotted at North Stoke on 9th April by Paul Cox, as reported on the Sussex BC website here. There must now be high hopes that this site will produce adults later in 2017.
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| Large Tortoiseshell (female) Image © Neil Hulme |
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) Sightings09 April 2017 (Source) |
Lee Slaughter posted a report of 14+ fresh Clouded Yellows at Seaton undercliff in South Cornwall on 9th April. All indications are that they are the result of larvae that have overwintered. An early Wall was also seen at the same time. Reported on UKB sightings forum here.
Peacock (Aglais io) and Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) Ovipositing11 April 2017 (Source) |
An interesting sight of a Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell simultaneously egglaying on the same leaf. Photographed by Vince Massimo at North Stoke, Sussex on 11th April. Reported on the UKB sightings forum here. There is only one other image of this occurrence in the UKB species albums here, taken by "EssexBuzzard" in April 2014.
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| Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell Image © Vince Massimo |
Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) Emergence20 April 2017 (Source) |
It is generally accepted that emerging adult butterflies hang suspended upside down or from a vertical surface in order to expand and dry their wings. This was called into question by a series of images posted by Pauline Richards on 20th April. One of the reared Green Hairstreaks that emerged that day successfully did it all standing on the ground. Reported in Pauline's UKB Personal Diary here.
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| Green Hairstreak Image © Pauline Richards |
