PhilBWright

[PhilBJohnson]

“Last Cabbage White”
Looking at a weather forecast, it was thought that Octoberer 19th or 20th 2021, might be a good time to see your last Cabbage White in flight this year, in the UK. Look for one on a south facing bank or hillside where direct sunlight (if you have it for more than a short period) warms, in a sheltered (less wind) location, during the hottest part of the day (probably after midday).
It was thought to be too windy for them in "my neck of no woods (it might have been more sheltered in the woods)".
So far, we saw our last adult Cabbage White in flight on October 9th, which we thought might be superseded.”

Nasturtiums before frost, in sheltered location, in afternoon sun. Lincolnshire.

[David M]

Looking at a weather forecast, it was thought that October 19th or 20th 2021, might be a good time to see your last Cabbage White in flight this year, in the UK...

No chance of that here, Phil - it's pouring down and blowing a gale. However, I agree with your timeline; once we're within 2 months of the winter solstice the Whites generally disappear.

[PhilBJohnson]

I have been working with some video clips this morning.
Unlisted, specialised short video:
Orange-tip pupae:
https://youtu.be/V3pYIQNC_QM (updated link, removed older video December 7th)

Public Video
and Brimstone butterfly Species update, including pupation:
https://youtu.be/EmNao-nY_gk

(all my youtube videos are for kids, i did not manage, what might have been next, on their play list).

Kind regards

[David M]

Very nice footage, Phil. That Brimstone video is particularly interesting and, as I've said before, I love the slo-mo's where the butterfly can be seen at a speed which shows things we don't notice in real time. Excellent!

[PhilBJohnson]

Spring Garden Butterfly Conservation (Brimstone and Orange-tip).
These were two superbly contrasting species, with a Brimstone being in pupal stage from about, the beginning of July for about 15 days in the wild, to be in time with it's deciduous larval food plants (Buckthorn & Alder Buckthorn) camouflage and overwintering as hibernating butterfly.
The Orange-tip species being in pupal stage in the wild, for about 10 months, to be in time with the annual flowering, of it's biennial larval food plant, Garlic Mustard, where the larvae ate the developing seedpods, in a Spring and early Summer.
It was thought for captive rearing of a Brimstone larva, room temperature was about the same as outdoor temperatures, at the beginning of July, so then seeing them through that stage for about 15 days, then released into a garden, was thought to have been an appropriate education.
The Orange-tip larvae, for the life cycle success of an adult butterfly, it was recommended that once pupation had taken place (about June), that the pupae be left outside, to go through natural, seasonal temperature progressions, so that the butterfly emerged from a pupa on time with it's natural life cycle.
Some hashtags I used on facebook, might have been:
#ButterflyWellbeing #ButterflyConservation #contrysideCode (For Wildlife Reserve Notice Boards)

[PhilBJohnson]

I hoped this presentation, might help someone with Orange-tip butterfly species conservation:

https://youtu.be/V3pYIQNC_QM

Kind Regards,

Philip

[David M]

Excellent footage, Phil. I wasn't aware they raced through the larval stage so quickly. 'Otie' made short work of those seed pods and the pupa itself is stunningly beautiful.

[PhilBJohnson]

Thank you, David,
One reason why the whole early stage process might have appeared a little quicker was because my egg photos, I think were taken just before the larva hatched. In a later update, I think I will also include one fresh Garlic Mustard change at about instar 3 or 4. That was just by putting another flower head (with seedpods) in the bottle next to the subject, which quickly moved on, when seedpods were mostly eaten on the first stem, in less fresh condition. Flower heads without eggs on, might have been found in full shade.

2022 Orange-tip possible decline.
In my locality, near Lincoln, Lincolnshire, we had a 2020/2021 winter lockdown.
In our global atmosphere carbon dioxide levels were thought to have fallen, partly because of less global travel in pandemic.
In my locality, I thought that April 2021 was colder than the previous five or ten years, with more frosts than usual.
In my locality, I thought that there was some inclement weather in May.
This put together meant that Orange-tip females appeared to be most successful egg laying, near the end of May and beginning of June, later than the previous several years.
If the Orange-tip species is seen in decline in 2022, then please look here for some clues as to why?

"I felt i needed to post this publicly, so that I might not be chased "from pillar to post" with a knowledge I had."

Kind regards,

Philip

[PhilBJohnson]

White Admiral Species Life Cycle
"The end of coppicing, so detrimental to many butterfly species, had a positive affect for the White Admiral"
Reference: Butterflies of Britain and Ireland video ©2012 Bird Guides & ©Pete Eeles

I thought that I might extrapolate from this, that the start of coppicing (usually carried out in the winter), might have been detrimental to a local population of White Admiral butterflies.
3 Year and 5 Year clear fell coppice rotations were thought by me, to be unsuitable for a White Admiral population, in the United Kingdom, as honeysuckle might not have had enough time to grow back, to be of significant interest, to an ovipositing White Admiral in the shade (which might have been their preference).
During a 12 year coppice rotation, how suitable was year 11 for the life cycle of White Admirals, in that some honeysuckle was given eleven years to grow back, to be in some shade?
Did Southrey Wood, Lincolnshire have a population of White Admiral butterflies, when it’s 12 year coppice rotation was first set up by Butterfly Conservation in 1987, under the Forestry Commission?

Reading list (Sorry I have not finished there yet).
Butterflies of Lincolnshire
Peter’s Southrey Wood knowledge as transects recorder for, was it 30 years?

Butterflies of Lincolnshire (I have just recently purchased this book from Pete Smith

What was a 12 year coppice rotation

Possible future reading:
Wikipedia
Native UK Honeysuckle Life Cycle
Thought to be facts:
The White Admiral species, in the UK, specifically in most populations, nearly always successfully overwintered on native honeysuckle (not another "florae species).

Kind Regards,

Philip

[PhilBJohnson]

I have just been looking at my Butterfly magazine Spring 2021, there was a beautiful picture of 3 Brimstones on the front, thought to have been taken by Pete Eeles.
On page 4 there was an article:
"What to see this Spring"
Two good pages about Sallows and the butterflies and moths to be found there. As far as I could see, there was no mention of a Purple Emperor, with life cycle dependancy on Sallow (or sallows).
At the bottom of page 5,
"Don't forget to submit any records of what you find at sallows to the BNM and NMRS recording pages"
Referenced from Butterfly Conservation's Butterfly Magazine, Spring 2021, pages 4 and 5
(with more details to be found on a website).

What some knew.
"Our native trees were under estimated, for the flower food that they provided, for our native insects, because their flowers were not as big, or as aesthetically appealing to humans, as some garden hybrids."

Kind Regards.

[PhilBJohnson]

Orange-tip butterfly in garden, Wild native plants and English garden naturalised plants.
The size that the Orange-tip larvae grew to, suggested that, compared with Hairy bittercress, larvae had an evolved need, for a relatively larger native, seed headed plant, to camouflage from predators, at a stage, when it was the biggest meal for them.
(#Instar5)
Greater Cuckoo flower was larger than a Cuckoo flower. Being Southern European native, it was not wanted by some land owners in wild places in the United Kingdom, but was thought legitimate, kept in a United Kingdom garden.
Did the Orange-tip life cycle there?
Honesty was considered to be English naturalised. An Honesty Plant it was thought, might be less identified with an Orange-tip butterfly life cycle, possibly because of seed pod, evolved relationship shape, compared with an Orange-tip camouflaged larva.
Some of my naivety was with Honesty plants, as I have not witnessed Orange-tip life cycles there, in my garden.
(My biennial larval food plants, sown from seed, year before last, were ready to flower this year).
Having written that, compared with Primary food plant Garlic mustard, it was noted that many (or most) gardeners, were more likely to leave Honesty plants insitu after flowering, because of the architectural aesthetic of the seed heads.
That in turn, might have helped an Orange-tip, overwintering as pupa, undisturbed.
Postscript
Other Hashtags I used on facebook:
#UKButterflies #GreaterCuckooFlower #HabitatAid #PlantLife #Honesty #HonestyPlant

Kind regards

[PhilBJohnson]

Reading this morning, Holly Blue
"This butterfly is known to fluctuate wildly in numbers on a cyclical basis due to the effect on population size of a parasitic wasp (Listrodomus nychthemerus) that feeds only on the Holly Blue larvae" P14

"As butterfly numbers increase, so too do those of the parasite, until the parasite becomes so common that it wipes out the majority of the Holly Blue population. But at this point, due to it's own success, the parasites food supply comes crashing down causing wasp numbers to drop dramatically, thus enabling the butterfly to recover and start to increase in numbers once again" P15

Referenced :P14 & 15, Butterflies of Lincolnshire A Modern History April 2021 Peter Cawdell & Pete Smith

Having noted something about Large White parasites, it might also be assumed that female Holly Blues carrying eggs that fly long distances, might colonise, or recolonise isolated habitat that a parasitic wasp, might not reach, so the life cycles of both species, might in theory, favour genetic inheritance, of more flighty butterfly individuals. -Philip Johnson (diary date).

Kind Regards,

[PhilBJohnson]

Garlic mustard (Garlic m.) sown by shaded hedge in Garden and in pots.A Primary Larval food plant (Brassicaceae) for UK butterflies
Biennials that survived summer, autumn and possibly early winter grazing of, for example, Green-veined white larvae.
These plants were growing in lightish compost, so could be easily removed for re-potting into larger pots, without much root damage.
They will almost certainly "bolt" (produce flowering stems) in the Spring for species like, for example, the Orange-tip butterfly life cycle.
February also appeared to be a nice time to sow Garlic m. as it germinated, soon after a damp, frosty time period, to "carpet" areas where it was left, not competing with other plants.
Some advice was to re-pot Garlic m., before leaves got very large, as by then, it might wilt fast, after it had been dug up.

Garlic m. that germinated, about last February (21)

[PhilBJohnson]

Garden DB Scabious Seedlings
A retailed Scabious plant was planted with gravel surround and the long tap root, allowed to grow, through a hole in the membrane used under the gravel.
Scabious as a native wild flower, had evolved with our UK butterflies and was thought to have become less common in the wild. Devil’s-bit Scabious was a primary larval foodplant for our Marsh Fritillary and flowered after some late summer meadow, single grass cuts, before seed had formed or matured on flower heads. On another Trust forum, a member was said to have had problems, getting it to set seed, so here was a clue:

Small Scabious plants that had seeded in gravel on membrane, might be plucked out in March and plugged into selected compost elsewhere

[PhilBJohnson]

A best time to see butterflies, in March, in the UK.
From the beginning of March, depending on direct sunlight, micro-climatic temperature and wind speed, it was thought by someone, that there was a “Window of Best Opportunity” between about 11:00am and 2:30pm.
Late in a March after clock times had advanced by an hour and daytime length had increased, that “Window of Good Opportunity, to see butterflies on the wing, became from about 10:30am in the morning, to about 4:30pm in the afternoon, depending on weather conditions and specific location, in the UK.

Growing Nasturtiums
Nasturtium seed sown indoors on window ledge, half way through March, germinated quickly.

Seedlings grown, in pots of possibly more than 30 litres, with slow release fertiliser, mixed in with compost at bottom, for roots to find, later.

March 26th 2022. Covered young seedlings, gave them some frost protection, with increased air humidity, after watering them.

July 7th 2021 Successful Nasturtium tower with bamboo canes

By starting the plants off early in the UK, they might be flowering, before a traditional increase in Cabbage White numbers, at the start of July. These numbers were supported by traditional butterfly migration.

Kind Regards,

[millerd]

Hi Phil - my sister already has nasturtiums flowering in her East Yorkshire garden in this warm sunny spell - though the expected cold snap may mean they need protection.

By the way, your observations on the window of opportunity for sightings largely matches my own, though with different preferences for different species.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

That sure is a resplendent nasturtium tower, Phil. You're right, during the month of March, growing times for young plants increase immensely. The seedlings on my window sill barely grew at all in the first half of the month, but this last week or so they've really responded.

[PhilBJohnson]

March 28th 2022 Orange-tip pupa, Lincolnshire Garden. Female?

April 6th 2022 Clearly seen silk thread, all the way around 3mm “woody” (overwintered twig, or stem). The significance might be seen in companion planting Orange-tip larval food plant, for ovipositing female.

The 5th instar June caterpillar was big enough, and chosen woody stem small enough, to fasten silk, all the way around it, to hold pupa for approximately 10 months.
Antenna looks more developed, than in March 28th picture.
Same pupa, different lighting conditions, with the second occasion being in direct sunlight.

[PhilBJohnson]

Thursday April 14th 2022,our first Holly Blue seen this year, a male, on it's way somewhere.
Friday April 15th,2022, weather app predicted 19ºC
Our first female Brimstone, first male Orange-tip, second Speckled wood and second Holly Blue seen this year. First Green-veined white, Peacocks and several Small whites and Commas.
Philip Explained:

Friday April 15th 2022
My Wife's photo of Comma butterfly, perched on my equipment used. Apple iPhone 8 with Apexel HD Smartphone Lens. (HD 2X telephoto Lens), to help keep a distance, without disturbing subject).
AB Shutter connected by bluetooth, allowed iPhone camera to be opperated remotely.
Converted two sections (second and third section, I thought).
Carp Fishing Pole (Pole needed to be rigid enough, for manoeuvre weight of iPhone with attachments).

Both sections of Pole had warning stickers (“Electric Shock Risk!) for electricity conduction. I remembered when long carbon poles were first used widely for course fishing and there were a number of deaths with anglers getting them too near overhead cables carrying electricity.
I felt, in all perfection, that Friday April 15th was a little bit of a missed opportunity for me, leaving my camera video setting on 1080p at 60 frames per second.
A better slow motion setting of 1080p at 240 frames a second or
4K at 60 frames a second, was available for me to use.
Both of those latter settings used up more iCloud storage space, but are capable of showing more detail of butterflies in flight.
Saturday April 16th 2022, weather app predicted 19ºC again.
Three more Holly Blues seen in private gardens and second male Orange-tip butterfly.
Sunday April 17th 2022
Having worked with some of the latest Surveying technology, I knew that the latest remote “micro camera” was “inside the end of a pole” and the Bluetooth “AB” was with the Smartphone held remotely from the lightweight micro camera and Bluetooth receiver, built into the end of the pole, a bit like a retailable “Apple wand” for a general public, retailed usage length.
The remote camera lens view, displayed on the smartphone, was also operated from the smarterphone, via
Bluetooth.
Apple wand might not be a child’s toy that might be big enough, not to fit through most keyholes.

#Apple iPhone #Software Update
#AB shutter (Bluetooth distance was up to 10 metres)

Someone's coming back soon,
Happy Easter!

[PhilBJohnson]

"A Dog-rose was pink, a Violet was true"

April 15th 2022, "Violet Stake-out"
Brimstone butterflies at Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire.
"Woodland violets were an important nectar source for butterflies, as well as being an evolutionarily dependant larval food plant for four or five different species of native UK Fritillary butterflies.

We thought that most, or all of our English woodland needed more of them".
Please see youtube video link:

https://youtu.be/aTb7peEU8pU

All of my youtube videos were made for kids,

Kind Regards,