Marseilles and South of France 2018

[David M]

I had my first Two-tailed Pasha sighting this week which is bang on time for me

If you learn of any sites for it in the Pyrenees-Orientales, Chris, please let me know!!!

[Charles Nicol]

lovely pics there Chris !

were you affected by the violent hailstorms over the weekend ?

[Chris Jackson]

I will let you know if I hear of TTP in the Pyrenees, David.

We did narrowly escape the hailstorms, Charles, thank you for your concern.

Tuesday 05 June
Down in the olive grove during my lunchbreak, the Southern White Admiral early stages are progressing.
Since my last photos some 13 days ago (25th May), some cats have reached 5th instar and I also found 2 chrysalises.

Southern White Admiral 5th instar on Lonicera implexa:

Southern White Admiral chrysalis on Lonicera implexa:

Lonicera implexa in its context:

Lonicera implexa in its context:

Cheers,
Chris

[David M]

That larva is a stunner, Chris, and 10/10 for finding the pupa. Remarkable stuff.

[Sylvie_h]

Hi Chris,

This is wonderful ! Are you going to be able to keep an eye on the emergence? That would be fantastic to see some pictures.
Thank you for sharing.
Sylvie

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks David and Sylvie for your comments.
I have under an hour during my lunchbreak to cover my 2 workplace patches, so it would be pretty amazing if I could actually photograph the emergency of the imago.

Today I managed a couple of better shots of the same subjects.
Southern White Admiral chrysalis - a real work of art by mother nature:

Southern White Admiral 4th instar on Lonicera implexa:

Southern White Admiral 5th instar:

Southern White Admiral 5th instar:

Chris

[Padfield]

Those reducta cats and chrysalis are fantastic. I'm amazed how exposed the pupa is - I mean in terms of heat and dessication, rather than predation.

Guy

[Chris Jackson]

Those reducta cats and chrysalis are fantastic. I'm amazed how exposed the pupa is - I mean in terms of heat and dessication, rather than predation.

Guy

Hi Guy,
The pupa is indeed exposed, however down here we are not exceeding 25°C and it is quite humid. This pupa is the start of the 2nd voltin. I will be following the 2nd brood very closely and particularly it seems the 3rd cat stage of the 2nd voltin forms a hibernaculum to get through next winter, so this will hopefully keep me usefully occupied.
May I say Guy that my enthusiasm for this subject is possibly fuelled by your own enthusiasm for early species that we see in your own thread, and I'm sure that I am not the only one on this forum who is motivated by your passion.
Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Friday 08 June

Hi All,

Here is the follow on to my report from 2 days ago, from my lunchtime olive grove patch.
The 5th instar Southern White Admiral cat that was green just the day before yesterday, has lost its green tinge and is starting to pupate (seen at midday today).

SWA cat on Lonicera implexa starting to pupate:

Two days ago it looked like this:

A neighbouring 5th instar cat only an hour or so behind in the process, and just to its right further along the stem we can see the pupa in the photo from 2 days ago:

Chris

[David M]

Those are fabulous observations, Chris, and I had no idea the pupae could be located in such exposed locations. It'd be nice if during one of your future visits one of these butterflies were to be emerging from the pupa! One can but hope.

[Chris Jackson]

Those are fabulous observations, Chris, and I had no idea the pupae could be located in such exposed locations. It'd be nice if during one of your future visits one of these butterflies were to be emerging from the pupa! One can but hope.

Monday 11th June

Witnessing a Southern White Admiral emergence is on our side, David.
This honeysuckle bush now has 4 pupae and three 5th instar cats on it, which sounds like a high occupation rate to me. There doesn't seem to be much predating going on.
Here are the changes since last Friday.

We saw this on Friday:

Today we see this:

We saw this on Friday:

Today we see this:

The honeysuckle bush in its context:

Chris

[Chris Jackson]

South of France

I happened upon this emergence Sunday morning in the west Var.
Apparently I missed it only by a matter of minutes.

Orange Fritillary just emerged:

Empty chrysallis some time later on my return:

Cheers,
Chris

[David M]

You're doing well with these pupae, Chris. That's quite some design on that one. Shame you missed the precise moment but you still saw something exceptional.

[Charles Nicol]

You're doing well with these pupae, Chris. That's quite some design on that one. Shame you missed the precise moment but you still saw something exceptional.

Chris has brought us some wonderful images of the early life of the butterfly. One might say he is a Pupa Scooper

[Chris Jackson]

Thanks Charles,

And to continue with early stages, I have a very recent short series of photos.

These are shots of a Scarce Swallowtail cat in my garden in the south of France, on Prunus domesticus (Reine Claude plum)

3rd of August. 30 mm long. Notice the camouflage spots. On the upperside of a leaf.

3rd of August. 30 mm long. On the upperside of a leaf.

Yesterday evening. The cat has lost its camouflage spots, has become a paler green (moulted ?) and has retired to the underside of a neighbouring leaf, out of view.

This morning at dawn, with flash lighting. The silk girdle is now visible.

To be continued.
Chris

[David M]

Fascinating, Chris. I shall look forward to the next sequence.

[Chris Jackson]

Fascinating, Chris. I shall look forward to the next sequence.

Wait no longer, David.
09 August
Scarce Swallowtail pupated.

Latecomers, check above for the start of the sequence.

Chris

[David M]

Tremendous work, Chris.

If you can observe it when it emerges I'll buy you a meal and a pint!!

[Chris Jackson]

... I'll buy you a meal and a pint!!

Thanks David, but that won't be necessary.

Pending any emergence of a Scarce Swallowtail, the successive generations continue and overlap. Whilst we have pupa maturing, we have fresh eggs hatching.
Today in my garden on an apricot tree, a 1st instar I. podalirius eating its chorion.

Chris

[Chris Jackson]

Tremendous work, Chris.

If you can observe it when it emerges I'll buy you a meal and a pint!!

You got off lightly this time David
The Scarce Swallowtail imago must have emerged while I was at work yesterday, so the pupa stage lasted 11 days.

Reminder of the pupa in the evening of 9th of August :

Empty pupa yesterday in the evening of the 20th of August:

Cheers,
Chris