UK Butterflies
Building a Community of Responsible Butterfly Enthusiasts in Britain & Ireland
Building a Community of Responsible Butterfly Enthusiasts in Britain & Ireland
This page provides access to all named aberrations of a given species and Goodson & Read (1969) is a key resource in this regard.
Description to be completed.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk
This section contains those aberrations that are considered new, and have yet to be formally defined.
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
= aurantica Reuss.Int Ent.Z.1916.10.p.30.
Male with the usual ground colour replaced by distinct orange tint. Reuss’ aurantica had the ground colour light gold-yellow. This may be paler than Tutt’s flavescens but it is difficult to draw a line unless the types are seen.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Female with the upperside whitish or pale straw, except the central area of the wings, and a greenish tinge along the inner margin.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Female with the upperside orange-brown, yellower than the normal female.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Upperside white but the base of the hindwings tending towards yellow-red.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
The ground colour quite silvery. A vague description, which may or may not be the white form.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
The ground color white.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
The upperside frosted with green as in ab. [form] valesina of A. paphia [Argynnis paphia, Silver-washed Fritillary]. Possibly the same as ab. suffusa Tutt.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Female with the upperside basal area blackish fuscous, the black spots larger and shaded externally with fuscous. The ground colour of the costal area and the outer row of marginal spots very pale whitish-ochreous. Tutt likens the form to ab. [form] valesina of A. paphia [Argynnis paphia, Silver-washed Fritillary].
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
The upperside of the hindwings with a large white round area on which the black spots stand out like eyes.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
= molybdina Newnham.Entom.1917.50.pp.207 and 230.
Albino. The black patterning of the upper and underside replaced by silver-grey.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
= ocellata Eisner.Zool.Meded.1942.24.p.123.
On the upperside of the forewings the black spot at the bottom of the median row, just above the inner margin, is elongated and joins up with another spot nearer the base forming an oval black spot but with normal orange ground colour in its centre i.e. a black ring or ocellus.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
On the upperside of the forewings the last but one, of the spots in the median row, is doubled or duplicated. There is usually a tiny black spot present on the basal side of this spot, presumably it is enlarged to a respectable size making two similar large black spots.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
On the upperside of the forewings the black spots of the median row are connected with each other along the nervures so that a black transverse line results.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
The black spots of the median row of the upperside confluent or coalescing, forming a black band on all wings. It is doubtful if Blachier intended to actually name this form, which is analogous with his ab. fasciata of A. niobe [Argynnis niobe, Niobe Fritillary], but Verity, in his Farf.Diurn.It.4, accepts it so it is included here. Blachier cites the figure in South.Butts.Brit.Isles.pl.61.f.5 as an example, which shows the spots of the median row very much enlarged and united, forming a well-defined band, not merely a zigzag line as in ab. transversa Lempke.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
On the upperside the postmedian spots are connected with the subterminal ones (the chevrons). Underside normal.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
= radiata ? Holik.Lamb.1937.37.p.92.pl.4.f.1.
Verity names this form figured by Holik who apparently thought it had been named radiata but placed a query after it. Verity, rightly or wrongly, gives it a definite name. The figure shows the forewings upperside with the median row of black spots very small and the subterminal ones somewhat suffused and elongated. The hindwings show long black neural rays stretching up from the margins and reaching the median row of black spots. The upper spots of the subterminal row are absent, thus making the rays stand out even more prominently.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Upperside of the forewings from the centre to the base black, except for a patch of normal colour on the costa near the base, the base itself being normal brown-orange. This black area forms a rough triangle, starting at the costa centre, down to the inner margin, then up again to the costa, thus being widest on the costa. The row of submarginal spots normal but the ground colour slightly suffused with blackish. Hindwings black from the centre to the normally coloured base, the submarginal spots present on a normal ground colour, the top one being elongated into a streak.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
On the upperside of the forewings, from the zigzag line outwards to the margin, wholly darkened. Underside normal. I have not seen the original description, this is taken from Lempke who says that the zigzag line is the postmedian row of spots. I cannot see how this can possibly be right; the postmedian row is straight, the zigzag row being the median row [Goodson & Read]. The author is anonymous, signing himself only with three asterisks.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
= ater-discus Frohawk.Vars.Brit.Butts.1938.pl.14.f.2.
The figure shows the upperside of the forewings mostly black with one or two small patches of normal ground colour in the median area. The base of the wings more or less normal and the margins with interneural rays of ground colour, the veins forming thick black streaks. Hindwings all black except at the base and margins, which are rayed with normal orange. Underside of forewings rather similar to upperside. Hindwings with a row of black spots replacing the silver ones in the median area. Frohawk’s ater-discus is almost identical on upperside and the underside shows some of the median black spots, which replace the silver in wimani. The two are too close to separate.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
I have not seen the original description [Goodson & Read]. Verity, in his Farf.Diurn.It., says the blackish tint invades, like a network, the upper surface of all wings. The description is of little use, apart from the melanic character.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
On the upperside of the forewings the median spots of the zigzag line are smaller and suffused and those of the postmedian row somewhat elongated. The veins at the margin are heavily blackened to form rays, which reach to the postmedian line of spots. One of the costal marks, the third from the base is absent. Hindwings all black except at the margins, which show a row of oval spots of normal orange ground colour, lengthening as they approach the costa. Underside of forewings almost normal, more lightly spotted. Hindwings similar to the typical form [referred to as ab. charlotta Haworth, by Kershaw, which is a synonym of the typical form], with three large pear-shaped spots at the base and the margins rayed with silver.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Upperside of forewings with the discoidal cell filled in with black from the second costal stripe to the discocellular vein, leaving only a small patch of normal ground between the black area and the first stripe, which is normal as is the base. The median area of the wings is blackened, uniting with the black of the cell, forming a broad oblique band, widest in the centre and narrowest just above the inner margin. The postmedian spots, less black in colour, are enlarged, some elongated and suffused, forming as they approach the costa, a cloudy area. The outer margins are suffused blackish, enclosing a transverse row of orange-brown spots, also suffused. Underside of forewings with rayed margins and traces of silver, the rest of the wings black. Upperside of the hindwings all black with the exception of interneural rays of orange-brown, which become longer as they reach the apex. The black area is dusted with long orange scales towards the base. Underside of hindwings similar to the typical form [referred to as ab. charlotta Haworth, by Kershaw, which is a synonym of the typical form], with the three large pear-shaped basal spots and marginal rays in silver.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
I have not seen the original description [Goodson & Read]. Lempke says the upperside from the base outwards, completely darkened. The underside normal.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Upperside of forewings fuscous or blackish-brown with fulvous median lunules. Hindwings normal. The figure shows the upperside of the forewings completely blackish-brown with the exception of two orange patches in the middle of the wings, all that remains of the normal ground colour. The underside is normal.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
The description says dark coffee-brown on the upperside, lighter at the base, with two small fulvous spots. Hindwings not so dark with three brownish-yellow spots at end of cell. The figure in Tijdschr.Ent.48.pl.3.f.2, from which Strand named the form, shows the forewings dark brown with an orange spot near the base on costa and a very small second one in the middle of the wings. The hindwings are almost as dark with three orange-yellow spots at the end of the cell which stand out most conspicuously on the dark ground. On the underside of the forewings a dusky powdering covers all except a thin marginal line of normal orange and two spots near the base. The hindwings are completely green except for mere traces of yellowish in the submarginal area near the costa and two very small streaks at the end of the cell. The silver spots on the margin very small.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Very similar to ab. viridiatra Strand but not so extreme. The description says the forewings upperside black shot with green, a few fulvous spots remaining in the disc, another one near the inner margin very faint. Hindwings almost typical. The description is not altogether correct. The original type specimen, a female, is not black, the normal black spots being easily seen on the dusky brown dusting, especially those of the postmedian row. The marginal lunules, although very small, are still present and rob the wings of the all black suggestion of the description. The few fulvous spots in the disc form a quite prominent zigzag band transversely across the forewings. The hindwings are asymmetrical, those of the left side being far darker than those of the right side. The underside differs distinctly from ab. viridiatra, which is almost completely green apart from its silver spots, nigrans being more or less typical.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Fore and hindwings black, so deep that the normal black spots are no longer separated or visible. The underside of the wings also black, the silver spots of the hindwings only weakly discernible. This is the most extreme form of the melanic group.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Small examples below 48mm.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
Ground colour of the upperside of both wings and underside of forewings light golden-yellow. All black spots replaced by silvery-white ones. Underside of hindwings greyish-yellow with no golden tint, the silver spots normal but the normal green-grey of the underside completely lacking. An example of partial albinism. This would seem to be the same as the albino form ab. albomaculata Rebel but the author says “partial albinism” so I hesitate to make it a synonym [Goodson & Read].
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
The ground colour of the underside of the hindwings of a beautiful warm yellow.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
= neoarctica Reuss.Soc.Ent.1922.34.p.31.
The underside of the hindwings with the basal half yellowish-fuscous or reddish-fuscous, instead of the normal green. Reuss’ neoarctica had the usual green parts olive-brown to reddish-brown.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
The underside with the spots bluish-green instead of the normal silver. The upperside is darkened.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
The underside of the forewings with a short row of rather heavy and clearly marked silver spots, starting at the apex. Normally they are hardly present. Underside of hindwings with an outer row of very heavy and almost circular silver spots. Normally these spots are not round.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
I have not seen the original [Goodson & Read] but Verity says the underside of the hindwings has its appearance quite changed by the large silver spots, which occupy the basal area and contrast with the green, which takes up the rest of the wings as far as the marginal silver spots. The upperside frequently melanic. Similar to the underside of charlotta Haworth [the typical form, referred to as charlotta Haworth, which is a synonym of the typical form] but apparently the median row of silver spots on the hindwings is absent leaving only the large basal ones and the marginal ones. The name would appear to be given to underside only, since the author says that the upperside may, or may not, be melanic.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
= hortensia Riel.Ann.Soc.Linn.Lyon.(M.S.).1911.58.p.187.
Underside of the hindwings with three large silver spots at the base. The upperside more or less darkened. Apparently named on the underside character combined with darkening of the upperside which charlotta Haworth [the typical form, referred to as charlotta Haworth, which is a synonym of the typical form] does not show.
Natural History Museum
britishbutterflyaberrations.co.uk (all aberrations)
