PhilBWright

[PhilBJohnson]

April 2nd 2024
My seasonally earliest ever note, of a male Orange-tip butterfly, in direct sunlit afternoon flight, near Lincoln.

April 11th 2024.

Allotment Cherry on April 11th 2024. Just that memorable, seasonal, very specific timing.

Male woodland butterflies surveyed by Melissa and I from April 14th 2024.
Lincolnshire male butterflies
The male forewings of the Spring generation of Green-veined white butterfly generally had much paler dark markings, than a faster life cycled summer generation.
Male Holly blue also seen, but not photographed.

April 14th Speckled wood (assumed to be male)

April 14th Male green-veined white, wings already damaged in clash.

April 14th Male Orange-tip butterfly

April 14th Male Green-veined white

April 14th Male Orange-tip, wings open in direct sunlight

Some female Orange-tip butterflies, clearly, had not emerged yet.

On Friday 19th 2024
A coldish breeze, external temperature reading in my car read 12ºC at about the same time as male Orange-tip butterflies took to the wing, in a sheltered location, with direct lunchtime sunlight, where a micro-climate might have made it slightly warmer.
This Spring, locally near Lincoln, I had not yet identified a female of any butterfly species, apart from one Brimstone and perhaps I was not looking hard enough at the Small Tortoiseshell (numbers appeared to be down, since 2015-2022) and Peacocks.
For early and late Spring butterflies, recommended place to look was north side of Lincoln gap (South facing bank of River Witham, cut through the Limestone geology. Places for n(ature and the view) included Lincoln's Liquorice Park.

[PhilBJohnson]

Nasturtiums & White Butterflies
Updated Content, that included growing Nasturtiums in the timing before last English Spring frost to display flowers in the "June gap" (a talked about month in recent history, where White butterflies were less numerous, between generations and before mass migration arrival).

https://youtu.be/eBZ__qr2XOI

Some interesting content:
"This was a Large white butterfly, that laid eggs in batches, in a same, or similar location.
In 2023, some seed packet varieties of Nasturtiums available, had smaller leaves and flowered more profusely, as some growers wanted to try and avoid this butterfly species attention."

The truth is out there,

Kind Regards

[PhilBJohnson]

Gardening For Butterflies-Cuckoo flower
We have had a wet year and it might have been good growing conditions for Cuckoo flower
"If you live in the South of England and had bought much grazed Cuckoo flower from an Authorised Wild Flower Retailer, you might of had some very long stems that had finished flowering. It was a recommended option, at the right seasonal time, when there was no observed Butterfly Life cycle there, to layer (a process called layering) part of the longest stems, below some developed seed pods, where new plants might grow.

In England, like watercress, it was thought, we did not have enough of Cuckoo flower, because of historic water meadow loss and Retailers that might have been caught retailing it, with a life cycle present, that someone else did not want, in their quarantine room.

[PhilBJohnson]

Brimstone relationship?
A species of spider that was seen living on English Buckthorn in May-July, when immature stages of a Brimstone Life cycle were there. Please can someone tell me more about this species and in what way does it (if it does) interact with the immature stages of Brimstone, even if it might be nocturnal?
I would guess (looking at the body) that it was at least distasteful to other species higher up a food chain, if not, poisonous.

May 18th 2024, Lincolnshire

[PhilBJohnson]

Spring 2024 Male Speckled wood butterfly diary, near Lincoln, Lincolnshire
First Speckled wood on the wing in 2024, I recorded on April 11th 2024

April 11th 2024 11:12am

Some of the first butterflies to emerge were seen in a window of opportunity, around a warmer lunchtime or early afternoon, when direct sunlight, less wind and temperatures allowed more flight activity.

Freshly emerged males were identified, on the seasonally sunny and warmest days, in combat with each other over territorial air space.
I once called this "Antennae jousting", but in fact, it was thought that the very sensitive antennae were used as instant response mechanisms, to help avoid high speed wing clashes, that were essentially individual mistakes, that decreased, on the wing, flight longevity.
Because first males of the year, emerged, after overwintering as pupa, then were followed soon after by males that had overwintered in larval form, sometimes, it was observed that a fresh male might displace one that was older and more wing damaged.

[PhilBJohnson]

Garden, Dragonfli wasp trap
I don't want Vespula vulgaris in my garden, even if "Chris" in the neighbourhood has left his growing wasp nest to get bigger to late summer.
Last year we had wasps from about the last week, before female Brimstones emerged from pupae.

I thought that my garden dragonfli wasp traps holes were big enough to squeeze through a Vespula vulgaris, but not a dragonfly, or a garden butterfly. Seriously, I wasn't sure about the size of something else.
I thought that the brand name "dragonfli", possibly should appear (or be embossed or something) on the product, not just on the leaflet the product came with, having bought it online.

#PickingFruit (without getting stung).

[Padfield]

I'm on the side of the wasps. They're quite likely to be among the chief pollinators of your fruit crops, so worth a sting or two if you're not allergic (though wasps are very unaggressive). If you are allergic, a wasp trap is unlikely to protect you. Wasps are the goodies!

Guy

[PhilBJohnson]

Government Owned Wild Spaces
I found this online:
"It's ok to gather seeds from flowers from meadows or hedges in the wild, as long as you do so in moderation, and only for your own use (not to sell)! However, it is against the law to remove or uproot the whole plant."
Advantages of seed collecting, rather than wild dispersal
In July, before single meadow cut.
Seed if collected, then dried can be dry stored (for targeted higher percentage rate of successful germination, at a specific time of year).
Seed that needed a "cold period" before germination, in climate changed 2024, might have been stored, then sown in January, into weeded bare earth (where the germination start, might not have competed with other species).
Here are some butterfly caterpillar food plant seeds, that are available from mid-July:
These were Spring flowerers like:
1.Garlic Mustard (you can seed the seed pods "go dead looking" (not green) and small black seed might be seen, before it drops.
2.Cowslip (Dark seed held in old (dead looking, not green) flower heads held high above leaves).
3.Alder Buckthorn (from 2024 mid-July, Treat like ripe researched tomato seed collecting but remember, unlike Tomato, the juices are unhealthy and or poisonous). If seed was dried, it can be stored for outdoor cold snap, January or February sowing and April germination (when bigger small trees start to leaf back. Do not let sown location get overgrown by plants that seed germinate in March.
4. Cuckoo Flower

More Garden butterflies in the future, Networked Gardens
"Garden man" might show favour for the insects he wanted to life cycle like butterflies and prejudice Vespula vulgaris like pests, that people naively created habitats for, that made use of, our urban built environments, ,over-wintering as Queens in rotting garden fence tops and old wooden sheds, then building Spring nests in dark sheds (that were shared by cool temperature loving butterfly hibernators) and stinging wasps that Spring nested in roof eaves, for late summer, higher numbers, invasion.
#WaspTrap #PestControl Officer #ButterflyKids #Health And Safety

Buckthorns, Alder Buckthorns and Brimstones
“In the United Kingdom “male ”Buckthorns might have been of more value to Brimstone numbers because caterpillars ate the leaves, not necessarily the developing fruits and or flowers (I had not seen that) and Vespula vulgaris nest number building wasps were attracted to ripening berries, at about the same time as mid to final Brimstone butterfly emergence from pupa, in time with other fruiting trees, such as ripening plum varieties.
That also might have been a reason Brimstone butterfly life cycles were more successful on immature, monoecious Alder Buckthorn (before berries that attracted other predatory insects.

Kind regards,

#HollyBlue

[PhilBJohnson]

Gardening for butterflies mid-August 2024
Some of the White butterfly larvae seen near Lincoln, Lincolnshire at the moment, I was going to call:
"the second summer brood".
I know that, seasonally about now, annual timings are such overlapped in multi generational, successional performances, that very small caterpillars might be seen alongside very large caterpillars or pupae. In favourable (or unfavourable) weather conditions for some, this might lead to a lot of White butterflies seen near the end of August and an overwintering timing for a future life cycle.
Native Watercress might be noted for linking native English water gardening with life cycles of butterflies.
Watercress can form dense, fast growing mats, where the roots are maintained just under the water surface, by summer water, entering and exiting a very shallow waterbody, to maintain water surface level, that did not fluctuate much, to dry out the plant.
Green-veined white and Small white larvae used hydrated watercress at this time of year, where the plant was vigorous enough, to leave caterpillar walkways, above or around, shallow pond edges.
Seasonal White larvae and Garlic mustard
In all truth, exposed to the "anti cabbage white butterfly brigade", the first year larger leaves of biennial Garlic mustard (before Spring flowering next year), were used by Green-veined white, Small white and Large white species. They might also have a strong enough tap root to recover leaves from about October onwards, before the next Spring April and Orange-tip butterflies ovipositing on the flowers.

[PhilBJohnson]

Native Berries for Wildlife including butterfly life cycles
Large Shrubs and Small trees for that less tall planting plan
When collecting wild berries at this time of year for your own propagation use, it was recommended to take a plant app identifier on your phone to check tree species. Specifically, in a garden, where a small tree, if uprooted in a storm, might cause significantly less damage and or be less expensive to maintain, or used on a staggered height woodland edge, there were native plants classified as large shrubs or small tress, which maxed out in some or most locations at 4-7metres in height.
Hawthorn and Blackthorn, I was not going to make a fuss about, because of their already, very common use in hedgerows, in Lincolnshire, providing a thorny barrier that might be roughly machine maintained by flailing. Blackthorn was used by Brown hairstreaks ovipositing in woodland where immature scrub had grown near to a mature tree or hedge. Black hairstreaks used mature blackthorn trees, possibly at an comparatively elevated height within a woodland.
Elderberry & Hazel were commonly chosen for berries and nuts, often maxed up in many locations, five to seven metres. Used much in managed coppice as they responded back, being cut close to the ground in winter.
Slowly evolved native, wild Currant for Comma butterfly life cycles, might max up at 3 metres in some locations. Might not have as many berries, or as many larger berries, as some cultivated varieties.

Some of the following were less used, not used or not first choice for human consumption of berries, but nice for specific, native wildlife:
Native Dogwood, maxed at about four to five metres in height, was read to help life cycle Holly blue in Spring
Native Guelder-rose (that was not a rose), about four metres max height in many locations, berries were useful for birds before or during winter. "Snowball" flowers in Spring might provide a nice nectar source for butterflies.
Buckthorn (calcarious soil) and Alder Buckthorn (Damp woodlands) for Brimstone life cycles. Might max out at five to seven metres in many locations
Fruit trees might have been grafted onto a shorter, less vigorous root stock for garden and or Orchard use.
Rowan Four to seven metres in many locations. A preference for some as an ornamental variety, in a garden

Roadside Collected, wild Dogwood & wild Guilder-rose berries for my own use. August 19th 2024

Footnote. In Lincolnshire, I have not seen so many Holly blue butterflies this year. I was told about larval parasites not having so many hosts to life cycle using also. Lets hope for a local bounce back in numbers where native ivy was not detested and removed, damaging buildings and other valuable non green structures.

[PhilBJohnson]

September 7th 2024, Belton House, National Trust, Lincolnshire
Late season butterflies present on lake edge included Small copper butterflies (My second, first and last annual sightings)
Green-veined white, Large white & plenty of dragonflies

Small copper, late summer generation, nectaring on mint.

The Fishing Lodge, Boathouse Pond, Belton House, Lincolnshire, National Trust

Butterflies enjoyed Wild flowes on pond bank, specifically also Green-veined white
October 19th 2024 my Social media Question:
“In Lincolnshire, what time of year was it best, to cut all the leaves and possibly flower stems off a Dock plant and or Sorrel, so that the timing was right for a female Small copper butterfly, to lay it’s eggs on the tender, juicy new regrowth, growing from long “tap root”?
#ButterflyConversation #ButterflyTiming #HabitatManagement #GrazedPasture

[PhilBJohnson]

My Gardening, my interests & experience.
Native Large Shrubs & Small trees.
So far I have appeared to have missed some dated Holly blue Spring oviposits. This info. might help others spot what they are looking out for.
Telling differences between native Alder Buckthorn (AB) and Native Dogwood (D).

Superficially similar looking native shrub to AB was Cornus or Dogwood (D)
Assumed Similarities
Large Shrub (or small deciduous tree) I thought both female and male reproductive parts were contained within the same flower (and tree).
It was read (not witnessed by myself) that Cornus life cycled Holly Blue. Also not witnessed by myself yet, was Holly blue ovipositing on Alder buckthorn (possibly more seasonally tight with local butterfly life cycles & seasonal flowers).
D had Blackish looking berries (assumed not human edible, (unlike Elderflower cordial, so historically D might have been less popularly propagated & grown, compared with Elderberry, but D was considered site specifically essential for some species of our native wildlife).
In speech for children “black berries should not be confused with “blackberries”
AB & D not so similar:
“Dogwood had colourful twig stems, that were easily noticeable in December & landscape growers had developed varieties that gave a shrub bed different winter colours, but those large shrub artworks, might have been considered less important for wildlife, compare with the native Dogwood.

Kind Regards,

[PhilBJohnson]

Happy Advent & Butterfly Memories
Updated English Peacock butterfly species video link:
https://youtu.be/6yxZ6qw06CE

"This was mostly my effort. I can update it again. Please provide feedback comments for me to read, as my partly sighted Spouse, was less helpful as an editor and a "fresh pair of eyes" for Someone to cast their eye over it"

Kind Regards

[David M]

Really enjoyed watching this, Phil (I like all these videos you post). I particularly appreciate the slow motion, in-flight footage (that poor bumblebee got a shock).

Nice too that each caption has the date so the viewer gets a better understanding of the chronology.

[PhilBJohnson]

Lincolnshire Wildlife Garden & December selective weeding to provide more growing space for wanted grazers later.
Garden man
December jobs, Wildlife Gardening in preparation for seasonal flowers & Grazers

Premise
People who only believed in watching and waiting for a better wildlife habitat, rather than working for a biodiversity within a defined space, interconnected with other spaces, might have been the people who ended up with more successful wind blown seeded wildflowers, like Dandelion and Wood avens in their own more neglected space.
Apart from a rewarded flower stop for pollinators, these as monocultures or abundance with less diversity, added much less significance in my managed wild space, so to counterbalance, I actively weeded them, to provide seeded areas or plug planting for other species.

In December, it was a nice time to make some preparations for future plants and insects one wanted to see. Not enough peace and quiet time with my garden work, was a problem..
Less grazed Wood avens (wind blown seed) was weeded in a garden, which naturally appeared to replace more grazed Garlic mustard. Recognising December Biennial & Perennial leaves. Here were some clues:

Garlic Mustard. Biennial. At least 4 of our native butterfly species have used this species within my managed space, to life cycle a forward generation.

Mainly Forget-me-nots. Thought to have been short lived perennials, grown as biennials, usually provided April blue flowers as a nectar source and flowering longevity. Where found growing in a space not wanted, like a flower pot or vegetable bed, by winter leaf recognition, they might have been transplanted & plugged in, in a place where they were more wanted, later. It was thought that enerational overlap provided more of a continuity of flowering plants.

Wood avens (Herb bennet) might be grazed by a full diet tolerant English rabbit, but by possibly not much else, if rabbit proof Lincolnshire fenced garden, or no pet rabbit.

Wood Avens. For many people, unsightly, summer small flower. Wind blown seed. Considered by me as almost a waste of space for butterfly life cycles in gardens absent of a Grizzled skipper's primary larval food plant.

Violets. Responsible for help to life cycle 5 of our native Fritillary species. Was traditionally, naively weeded frequently in gardens as winter leaves did not provide aesthetically pleasing instant large flower abundance. Thought to have been specifically important to advise people living close to Fritillary habitat, to let violets grow in their gardens, for the sake of possible "magic"

Honestys. Possibly not English native but naturalised and pollination crossed to produce differences in flower. Seeds heads were thought of as architectural features, left winter standing from the previous generation (biennial end). Flowered in shade & part shade, under hedges, in time for male Orange-tip butterflies early spring presence.

Oxeye Daisy. If someone thought that it was an "Ox" in their garden, try to be on time cutting it back soon after flowering before seeding. It might be winter weeded on time, if it became too prevalent and it might just survive nicely as leaf, in a regularly mown lawn area, nearer to the back of a large garden

Perennial Birds-foot trefoil, for Common blue's sake, might flower & seed less & leaf shrivel more in heat extreme, if root was not getting enough water, to keep the plant. As it had potentially long flowering seasons from May to late summer, a specialised high cut, carefully worked out cutting regime was suitable ,to maximise seed dispersal and leaf regrowth, in specific habitat areas

Perennial Cuckoo flower. For more butterfly larval use, propagated plants which grew most vigorously with larger leaves were more highly valued. As in the family brassicaceae, slugs and snails grazed this plant also. I was not sure if Cuckoo flower hybrid pollination crossed easily, with Hairy bitter cress, like it did with same species plants, with different flower coloured varieties. Hairy bittercress was a much more commonly weeded, found in Lincolnshire gardens that had some summer use to help life cycle Small white and Green-veined white butterflies, but in comparison with Cuckoo flower, had much less significant flowers, not really very attractive to ovipositing Orange-tip butterflies.
Vigorous plant varieties might be propagated by layering leaf runners that easily produce roots, also small plants might grow on bolted stems of plants that had finished flowering and produced roots there. Advice was to purchase original native plants from specialised retailer, as I did (and keep receipt records, in case of speed accusers) if Cuckoo flower was not present on your property to begin with, in your ownership.
I have never cut wild flowers (not on our property) of this species in the Spring, and also never dug up wild Cuckoo flower plants, because I was sensible about the associated "cheese grin". Propagation of wild flowers on a clients property, needed sensible communication with the clients, not the time wasting idea that one needed to be watched always, while the client was out, without appropriate communication.

[PhilBJohnson]

Orange-tip life cycle

December 29th 2024, Garlic mustard, grown through lavender, Lincolnshire Garden. Old Garlic mustard stem in foreground, appeared not to be the caterpillars chosen place to pupate, given somewhere else to go (not in a more controlled environment).

Christmastime was a nice surprise, to find that an ancient, large variety of English lavender (might have been a bit more similar to native European lavender), provided a suitable over-wintering position, for an Orange-tip. The lavender flower growth had finished being trimmed back to green leaf.
That reduction did not appear to make any difference to the "hide" on a woody stem.
Some large lavender branches had been taken off near ground level to facilitate garlic mustard flowers, bolting through the lavender in last May 24.

Gardening for Orange-tip butterfly Life Cycles
Possibly, the pupae emerged first in a south facing aspect (sunnier micro-climate) and might have been most successful in a west facing aspect (afternoon sun). If using native honeysuckle to help camouflage pupae that might have been in at least two different colours. More winter honeysuckle leaves, might have been open on plants in a sunnier microclimate.
By the way, I had never seen a green, camouflaged white admiral "hibernaculum" on native honeysuckle in December. Female White admiral might have oviposited in shady areas.
A #GardenNearAWood

About 1.2m above ground level tbc...

So far this year, I had surveyed six Orange-tip pupae in a Lincolnshire garden. Three had failed and at least three were living with something inside, up until yesterday.

Recap. 6th July 2024, pupation preference, was usually on something thinner than a retailed bamboo stick (background). Very noticeable signs of failure within one month. North east facing aspect (shady)

Recap. 6th July 2024, pupation preference, was usually on something thinner than a retailed bamboo stick (background). Very noticeable signs of failure within one month. North east facing aspect (shady)

30th December 2024 This side of the fence is basically south facing. It was considered very unusual to find a successful pupa, attached to a chemically stain treated fence, but it was basically, behind the honeysuckle, trained on the fence. Encouraging a caterpillar to pupate near to the top of a close board fence, was considered to be at a relatively much bigger risk of predation by garden birds.

[PhilBJohnson]

Ask your very specialised UK wild flower retailer about something
Garlic mustard biennial “plug plants in 2024/25” that will bolt flower in April 25 for Orange-tip butterfliy life cycles.

Garlic mustard seed in July/Aug 2023 was collected and dry stored. Dry sown January/February 2024, a percentage possibly needing a coldish, wettish period to germinate. 
Having survived summer leaf grazers, un-grazed, by 24/25 winter, these have developed and grown large leaves, with long tap roots, roots if broken might quickly wilt the leaves in need of hydration.
Water them in to begin with, especially if whole root ball is not intact.

[PhilBJohnson]

February Jobs for Butterfly Life Cycles in Gardens in Lincolnshire
Sow dry stored biennial seed that had a higher percentage germination success with a "frost cold period"
1. Garlic mustard (Might germinate February/March). For at least four species of Family White life cycles. Might also be grazed by gastropods (Slugs and Snails).
2. Dry stored, garden naturalised Honesty seed (If not already fallen from architectural seedpod remains)

3. Rhamnus "Brimstone bushes and Small trees"
Sow dry stored Rhamnus frangula seed in winter 2025 "Damp Woodland Buck-thornless" seed germination for Brimstone Life Cycles.
Seed might have germinated in April, as the leaf buds started to germinate on mature trees).
"Red Fire root" might be dangerous if dug up. Leave alone in the wild.
Some advice was to only handle root carefully with gloves, if garden repotted as root might burn fingers.
Rhamnus frangula
Rhamnus might be retailed to a responsible adult in a pot with a "No foraging" (picture of human foraging) warning sticker attached, as seasonal berries were thought, not for a man's diet, but might form part of a native bird's natural diet.

No Foraging stickers on retailed plant pots, or a sign on a nature reserve information board, might have helped absolve a legal liability.

Rhomnus frangula plant species might have been essential to Brimstone butterfly life cycles, damp woodland, neutral to acidic geology (not on calcarious geology (chalk and limestone).

[PhilBJohnson]

Butterfly Protection
We had not found one of these locally in retail before. The holes size were approx. 8cm X1cm.
They might be very suitable for final instar caterpillar crawl and pupation without bird interference, then butterfly internal crawl to light and exit for first flight.
We insisted that they might be better to naturally weather, than be painted. I guess I could tac add a bit of shed roof felt, for water runoff to delay rot.
More sure about less wasp nests later in urban areas, possibly we can avoid an early Spring "vulgaris", wasp queen, scouting.

Shopping at Pennells Garden Centre, Lincoln

Possibly not for an all round entomologist's (insects) Nature reserve, but for lepidopterists (Butterflies and moths)", might be very nice with a summer wasp trap attracting "vulgaris" wasps elsewhere with smells.
Garden man
Children needed to learn to look after insects we want, in preference to pests that might hurt others, not just in your garden.

[PhilBJohnson]

I have updated my Small copper video.
If you have seen some of it before, thank you for your patience with watching some of it again & I appreciate a feedback communication, particularly if I have made a mistake that I had not noticed:
https://youtu.be/-2Qab9eTuAk

Kind Regards