Notes and Views - December 2015

[Vince Massimo]

This December has been unusually wet and warm. Whilst this will not generally be good for butterflies that are hibernating, some, like Red Admiral larvae, are taking advantage. Dave Harris reports that larvae of 3-5mm in length are feeding in his garden in Newhaven, East Sussex on 21st December.
Reported on Sussex BC website under that date http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.html
Three adults were reported to have emerged on 1st May 2016.

A larva of 7mm is being monitored by Vince Massimo in Crawley, West Sussex. It was last seen constructing a new shelter on 19th December. Reported on UKB forum viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8697#p106473
An adult butterfly emerged on 18th April 2016 viewtopic.php?f=37&t=5672#p109072

Red Admiral larva (second instar) - Crawley, Sussex 19-Dec-2015

Vince

[Vince Massimo]

Large White larvae were seen feeding in Warbstow, Cornwall on 20th December. Reported on twitter via Andrew Cooper https://twitter.com/AndrewCoopera/statu ... 60/photo/1 Not sure if the photo is a library image.

A Large White larva was observed as having pupated on 21st December by Dave Harris in his garden in Newhaven, East Sussex. Reported on Sussex BC website under that date http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.html

Another larva was seen still feeding on Brussel Sprouts on 22nd December in an Isle of Wight garden. Reported on Twitter https://twitter.com/iwgreengym/status/6 ... 65/photo/1

Then, in the week leading up to 24th December, 6 Large Whites were reported to have emerged in a garden in Fulham by John Wolstenholm. Reported on Twitter via Richard Fox https://twitter.com/RichardFoxBC/status ... 12/photo/1


Vince

[Vince Massimo]

A Speckled Wood was seen flying on the South Downs near Alciston, East Sussex by John Kerby on 23rd December. Reported on Sussex BC website under that date. http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.html

Another seen flying at a garden centre in Chiswell Green on 29th December by Richard Geary. Reported on Herts and Middlesex BC branch website http://www.hertsmiddx-butterflies.org.u ... gs-new.php


Vince

[Vince Massimo]

A Painted Lady was photographed at Halnaker Hill, (near Chichester) West Sussex on 23rd December by a County Council countryside ranger. Reported on Sussex BC website under that date. http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.html

Vince

[David M]

Amazing (and equally worrying) set of sightings. I sincerely hope that normal service is resumed in the New Year. We need some cold weather to remind our hibernators that we actually DO have a winter!!

[Essex Bertie]

Similarly, a Painted Lady on the Essex Coast on the 23rd: http://www.cambs-essex-butterflies.org. ... gs2015.php

[Vince Massimo]

A freshly emerged Small White was seen in Par, Cornwall on 27th December. Reported on Twitter via Andrew Cooper https://twitter.com/AndrewCoopera/statu ... 84/photo/1 The photo may be a library image.

Also, Small White larvae have been seen on cabbages at Four Marks, East Hampshire on 30th December. Reported on Twitter https://twitter.com/NTMatthewOates/stat ... =twsrc^tfw



Vince