|
|
Post by bobw on Aug 3, 2013 4:06:27 GMT -8
I've been in Norfolk recently and thought I'd visit the Broads yesterday to see how P. machaon is doing - it's very late this year, I even saw a couple of females flying which is later than I'd thought possible. I saw one or two eggs and every instar of larvae from 1st to 5th, probably mainly 3rd; some had clearly pupated as there were plants showing a lot of feeding with no larva present. They seemed to be in pretty good numbers.
The only other things flying were plenty of whites and Peacocks (I. io). There were also some very late Peacock larvae on nettles in the reedbeds, and masses of Small Tortoiseshell larvae (A. urticae), I must have seen 30 or 40 nests in quite a small area (c. 20 x 20 m.) plus hundreds of larger larvae that had already dispersed. I didn't see any adults so it must be between broods, but urticae is clearly doing very well in Norfolk. I've always found it to be much more common in Norfolk but it does seem to be making a comeback everywhere this year; I've seen the first ones I've seen in Surrey in over 20 years and other people have told me they've seen a lot more this year. It also seems to be a very good year for Peacocks and A. iris.
Bob
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Adam Cotton on Aug 3, 2013 8:48:10 GMT -8
When I was young A. urticae was common in the middle of Birmingham, the nettles in the school playing fields were always full of larvae (in season, of course!).
Adam.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2013 9:11:04 GMT -8
There is virtually no chance of gorganus and britannicus breeding, that would mean that gorganus would have to first establish itself in sufficient numbers to become a British resident and then spread 200 miles or so up to Norfolk, I am more likely to see nymphalis antiopa in my garden than that happening. A Urticae is fairly common again here in Yorkshire but still only 50% as common as it was in my childhood, inachis io is by far the most common nymphalid out this way it is everywhere, alas though NO vanessa atalanta or Vanessa cardui at all.
|
|
|
|
Post by bobw on Aug 7, 2013 10:19:25 GMT -8
I saw one cardui and two atalanta in Norfolk on Friday, along with a few c-album and lots of io.
Bob
|
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Aug 7, 2013 10:57:47 GMT -8
Here in NW France (Brittany), as for you Duncan, urticae is doing an impressive come-back ! I can see some everyday ! It was nearly absent in the last 5 years !
Immigrants are very common : thousands of Vanessa cardui and even a Lampides boeticus in Frehel.
|
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Aug 7, 2013 10:58:08 GMT -8
machaon also commin this year
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 8, 2013 10:23:02 GMT -8
A. Urticae seems to be doing far better this year on the Wilts Downs but still none on my Buddleia. Inachis io has been having a bumper year too. It seems to me that I. io is the first to hibernate with most butterflies disappearing by the end of August.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2013 11:25:54 GMT -8
This year io is more abundant than any time I can ever remember, at least 30 on every buddleia bush in my garden as opposed to 5 urticae and 2 p c album,wonderful sight.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 8, 2013 12:42:57 GMT -8
Most be a wonderful sight indeed.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2013 9:51:17 GMT -8
more sightings of gorganus in Kent, this seems to be a bumper year for them, I wonder if they have become established again, I cant remember so many reported sightings in modern times.
|
|
|
|
Post by smallcopper on Aug 20, 2013 5:08:30 GMT -8
I recall seeing gorganus in Somerset many, many years ago - though couldn't be precise as to which year as I wasn't keeping a diary back then, but it was during 1981-5 when we lived on the Levels there. I was gutted at the time that I couldn't catch it. There was a ridiculously aberrant P.machaon sold on Ebay earlier this year. Will see if I still have a screen grab of the specimen... [edit] I can't work out how to upload a photo, being a bit of a technophobe. Have managed to make the screen grab into my avatar though. Have obscured the data as there was some controversy I heard at the time about whether or not it was really britannicus, and the dealer/breeder's name was clear enough on there - and without knowing the full ins and outs of the thing, it doesn't seem fair to name him. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 20, 2013 11:12:45 GMT -8
Hi Small Copper, welcome to the forum. fantastic avatar. Uploading images may seem complicated at first but you soon get used to it. I will try to explain how I do it.
1] choose your image and right click and then Copy.
2] right click and then Paste and the image appears on your desktop.
3] right click and then Open with Paint.
4] In Open with Paint do the following, left click the small box [ top left hand corner] and save.
5] left click Resize and a window appears, change the horizontal/vertical percentage to fit the image attachment size.
6] left click, the Small Save AS box [ top left hand corner under the small save box]. A window appears and then press, Save as JPEG. When you do this another window appears, press save, then when another window appears that says , Do you want to replace your image, press yes and you are ready to upload your file. Other members may use better methods but this is how I do it. Hope this helps. Peter.
|
|
|
|
Post by smallcopper on Aug 21, 2013 7:08:32 GMT -8
Hi Peter,
That's most helpful, thank you. I've amended yesterday's quote so everyone can see the image as large as it will go. It was a most striking P.machaon... and way too dear for me to consider in the final reckoning...
|
|
|
|
Post by smallcopper on Aug 23, 2013 3:39:10 GMT -8
I can't remember offhand, but well in excess of £100 as I recall. With hindsight, I should have been a little braver and bid for it. Ones like that don't come along very often...
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 23, 2013 9:11:45 GMT -8
Hi small copper
That's one amazing P. machaon ab. I do believe this specimen would fetch a much higher price today. This aberration is probably unique.
|
|
