Jack Harrison

[Jack Harrison]

The way these things eat, a plug plant would not even provide an hors d’ouevre! But I have enough caterpillars/pupae now. Just one still eating, four spun up ready to pupate (although one might not make it as the holding silk is broken) and ten apparently healthy pupae. (Totals to be confirmed). This is from 25 caterpillars collected so not a bad success rate. No ichneumon parasites so far.

I’m off on holiday to Orkney at the weekend. I doubt I’ll find any butterflies there but will check for caterpillars if I come across Nasturtiums.
David: might be worthwhile checking Nasturtiums in South Wales.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Sadly I have to report a case of manslaughter. When I cleaned out the box of Large Whites, I failed to notice that one caterpillar had crawled off and was now hiding in the rim of the lid of the box: it was squashed on replacing the lid. RIP

Jack

[David M]

David: might be worthwhile checking Nasturtiums in South Wales.

I always do when I see them at this time of year, Jack. However, if there are hardly any adults around I wouldn't expect there to be many eggs.

[Jack Harrison]

David

However, if there are hardly any adults around I wouldn't expect there to be many eggs.

But that is exactly why I am confused. I have seen very few adults this year but am currently having no trouble finding caterpillars.

I'll see if there any on Orkney when I go there on holiday tomorrow.

Jack

[David M]

...I'll see if there any on Orkney when I go there on holiday tomorrow.

Good luck with that, Jack. If you do then I'll wave the white flag.

[Jack Harrison]

“Wiltshire” Blue.

This strange butterfly came up during a conversation this week in Stromness, Orkney (where I was on holiday). A lady told me she had seen a “Wiltshire Blue” on Orkney. My investigation suggests the following explanation.

I visited a museum in Stromness and looked at the butterfly collection. The staff at the museum was unable to confirm that these butterflies were in fact collected in Orkney but the species list suggests that it probably was.

Small White
Large White
GV White
Clouded Yellow
Peacock
Small Tortoiseshell
Red Admiral
Painted Lady
Dark Green Fritillary
Meadow Brown
Small Heath
Common Blue

The Common Blues were interesting in that every female specimen was the blue form. So there perhaps is the lady’s “Wiltshire Blue”. She had previously lived in the Marlborough area. So is the “Wiltshire Blue” Chalkhill or Adonis?

Michael Morpurgo’s classic “The Butterfly Lion” (my children loved it when they were young) is maybe relevant. The narrative suggests an unhappy pupil at Marlborough College (although this is not explicitly stated) and his “butterflies” were Adonis Blues – the “Wiltshire Blues” perhaps?

Jack

[Wurzel]

Interesting Jack - I reckon that you're right in your surmise that she was seeing very blue female Common Blues as they're more like Adonis than Chalkhills (both of which fly in good numbers on the Downs around Marlborough) which would tie in with the "Butterfly Lion" link too. Interesting that all the females were 'blue' which is a bit like the mariscolore form (or is it a species?) found in Ireland?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Jack Harrison]

Incidentally, I didn't see a single butterly on Orkney. Even the Nasturtiums drew a [caterpillar] blank.

Jack

[David M]

Incidentally, I didn't see a single butterly on Orkney. Even the Nasturtiums drew a [caterpillar] blank.

Do they have any resident butterflies there, Jack, or is it just migrants that turn up occasionally?

[Jack Harrison]

Full house (for these parts) in the garden today:

Peacock
Red Admiral
Painted Lady
Small Tortoiseshell (likely to be second brood)
Speckled Wood
Small White (probably third brood)

The Small White was egg-laying on Nasturtium. There isn’t a hope-in-hell that they will get through to the pupal stage (and thus be able to hibernate) before frosts kill off the Nasturtiums. So this [presumably] third brood is destined to fail. Compare the hypothesis that third brood Wall Brown larvae often don’t succeed in reaching a suitable development to be able to over-winter explaining the Wall has seen a serious decline in recent decades in hot central England. A consequence of global warming perhaps?

The windsock in the background is for the benefit of birds and butterflies Commercial aircraft inbound to Inverness airport fly overhead so might find it helpful but my pilot son mentions some new-fangled idea called "radio" so maybe they don’t need windsocks these days.
However, when I retired some 21 years ago, windsocks were still useful as was the resident Kestrel – hovering into wind – when about to take off from Amsterdam’s northerly runway.

Jack

[Wurzel]

That's a good list Jack - I'm not seeing much more round about now Lovely looking Painted Lady - quite swarthy looking

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Jack Harrison]

Taken in grounds of Cawdor Castle today 20th September

A German tourist told me (in the usual impeccable English) that they call them “Peacock’s Eye”.
Any idea what flower it was using? It looks almost like a Bluebell but iof course it isn't. A scrambling shrub to about 2 metres high. Clearly an excellent butterfly attractant.

This Red Admiral was feeding on Doronicum for the entire two hours I was there.
Note the damaged right wing and the missing antenna. (circled). I blame this fellow who was hanging around nearby.

I pointed out the Red Admiral (by gesture) to some Japanese. Click click click with their smart phones. All over in about 30 seconds and they moved on. I just wonder how large are the hard drives that Japanese people have: they must take millions of photos.

I do have to say that Japanese are always impeccably dressed, unlike the ubiquitous tourists from a certain large country in the western hemisphere who display a sartorial non-elegance like us Brits.

Jack

[Allan.W.]

Jack ,
Your plant could be Clematis heracleifolia "Cassandra " ……………………………………… Just seen it on Gardners World !
Regards Allan.W.

[Jack Harrison]

Allan:

Your plant could be Clematis heracleifolia "Cassandra " ……………………………………… Just seen it on Gardners World !

That's it. Thanks. Certainly a good late season butterfly plant.

Jack

[David M]

Fabulous, Jack. That's a good count for your latitude at this time of year.

Peacocks have all disappeared round my way, so it's enviable that you're still seeing them.

[Jack Harrison]

In the garden today.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Intricate undersides are sometimes overlooked. It's not just uppersides that are impressive.

Jack

[millerd]

Absolutely, Jack. Painted Ladies have wonderfully intricate underside markings that make ideal camouflage when sitting wings shut on dried up dusty Mediterranean grass and scrub. They work quite well on British gravel paths too!

Nice photo.

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Spot on Jack The Map is another one where the underside is where it's at Cracking close up a post ago

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Intricate undersides are sometimes overlooked...

Not by me, Jack. This species has one of the most striking undersides of all our butterflies. They don't tend to show it off too often though, mainly preferring to nectar with wings open.