Benjamin

[Benjamin]

Following up from my previous post (unfortunately now hidden on the previous page)…….

Yesterday I dashed off to have a quick look in the only place I reliably find overwintering ST and peacock. I’m not sure if I wrote this up in my diary but last winter I spent several days searching for overwintering sites that I might be able to monitor going forward.

I arranged access into a few promising looking church bell towers (close to nettle rich river banks) and searched numerous pill boxes along the major Sussex rivers. Although I met some lovely and very helpful church wardens, and enjoyed the considerable challenge of squeezing my stiff old body through long disused access holes built for people half my size, I didn’t stumble upon the jackpot I had hoped to find. I did find the odd peacock here or there, but unfortunately the practice of attaching anti bird/bat mesh to bell tower vents now seems widespread, and is a little too successful at keeping everything out. This is frustrating as if the mesh size was just a little larger, the goal would still be achieved and a safe haven would be created for butterflies that would still be able to enter.

Pill boxes were easier to check once permission from various farmers had been granted - yes I did actually do things properly for once (mainly because I wanted regular access it must be said!).

I think I checked around 20 or so with one particular pillbox (nicely hidden away and with regular access granted) housing about a dozen peacocks and a couple of ST. This was the middle of winter so no data for numbers in late summer.

Returning to this location yesterday I was pleased to find it again being used - this time by around a dozen of each. I really should have checked earlier in the year to confirm which brood of ST they are, but before my trips I started losing the battle to keep up with everything and this was one of the tasks that slipped off the list. It’s good to know it’s a regular overwintering location though, so I can start keeping some better records going forward.

[Wurzel]

Interesting to see the Peacocks and Small Torts already in their overwintering sites - is that them settled down or will they pop out every now and again?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I know Peacocks aestivate, Ben, but I think most of the Small Tortoiseshells are currently doing likewise due to this abnormally hot weather we're having. I've only seen three or four since I got back from Spain 5 days ago, whereas normally they continue feeding into October round here.

[Benjamin]

Thanks David and Wurzel. Despite being easy species to see, I don’t think they’re particularly easy to study. I think I’ll have to keep chipping away each year - having a reliable overwintering site is obviously a big help.

[Benjamin]

Towards the end of August I checked in on the small tortoiseshells and peacocks, curious to see whether the change in the weather had tempted them back out from their early hibernation.

The nettles in the immediate area had bounced back impressively after the drought ending rains of mid August and were now looking in perfect condition. Had they looked like this a month earlier then they would no doubt have hosted a large 3rd brood of small tortoiseshell and a few second brood peacocks. The lack of life on this occasion suggested that the hibernators would still be tucked up in bed, and as expected this was indeed the case.

Returning back past the nettle beds I saw a red admiral egg laying on the abundant lush nettles. She had that late summer calmness about her. With the other vanessids out of the way the most significant parasitoids are also over for the year. If we have reasonable September weather then it could be a good time to be a red admiral caterpillar.

[Benjamin]

Just to check in with all things iris….

There is a general feeling in purple emperor circles that the intense summer heat has been worryingly detrimental to eggs and young larvae. The early stages searches that have been conducted elsewhere thus far, seem to support such pessimism.

My own searches won’t commence until ‘dangle leaf’ kicks off properly, as it is the only method that enables a sufficiently thorough search across my entire site. I did, however, pop in on Monday to see if I could find anything in some of the key areas. I only managed a single find but it was enough to reassure me that at least one female passed through the area. Despite some summer drought the majority of the sallows are in pretty good condition so I’d be surprised if I find anything out of the ordinary when I come to the big search.

A little habitat video of the first of the season:

https://youtu.be/WHLkHegiOIs

[Benjamin]

I don’t usually include my European butterflying in my diary - mainly because most of my trips involve getting record shots of as many species as possible and there’s very little time to even begin to scratch the surface and get into anything more interesting.

Surprisingly it was the final trip of the summer (a family holiday to Menorca) that bucked the trend and provided the highlight of my butterfly year.

I’ve been fortunate enough to spend some time with some top species this year but generally in the manner described above where you drop into a place and spend a mad week or two trying to make sense of the overwhelming diversity and abundance of species that entice us onto these trips in the first place. Wonderful and intoxicating in one way, but also quite a shallow experience in another.

The target on Menorca was unsurprisingly two-tailed pasha - not a rare species but one that had largely eluded me on previous visits. Erring on the side of caution as I must, my carefully judged pressure to bend the timing of the family trip to suit my ends had thus far been ineffective and so once again we headed to the wrong part of the island, at the wrong time of the year.

At least this time I knew that there was no point trying to bait the butterfly in the villa garden. Having now thoroughly explored the local area I have established beyond doubt that within easy walking distance of our base there are no wooded hillsides or hidden valleys where strawberry trees grow. At this time of year, therefore, it is unlikely that butterflies will be passing by, and I can save myself the daily disappointment that comes with monitoring the unvisited, overripe fig piles dotted around the pool. This year it was clear that in order to give myself any chance at all, I’d have to travel further afield.

Fortunately amongst my family it’s well understood that in my world villa/pool holidays only make sense when there exists a reasonable opportunity to escape them from time to time - a morning or an afternoon every few days is usually sufficient to keep the noose from the neck.

On one such afternoon I set off along the Cami de Cavalls (an ancient path that encircles the island) targeting a heavily wooded area of increased elevation that the path passes through on one of its gorge-avoiding inland detours. About 15km along the route I started to notice strawberry trees, and after a few steep climbs, and another 3 or 4k I was in very promising looking habitat.

Enjoying a well earned break I started a leisurely investigation of the likely (not that I have the first idea about this species) looking young strawberry trees and to my immense satisfaction I immediately started to find caterpillars. First very early instars, then eggs, then later instars, full grown caterpillars, empty pupal cases - I think everything with the exception of pupae was located within a couple of hours at this particular site.

Of course the presence of eggs gave me hope that females at least could still be on the wing and this was confirmed in the most wonderful fashion when I was suddenly joined by one such female flying rings around myself and the young tree that i was searching. Staying perfectly still she happily ignored me and proceeded to lay eggs within a few feet of my motionless body.

She then moved on to the next tree where, having apparently thoroughly depleted my reserves of self-control, I chased her with my camera in the usual intoxicated fashion.

Crashing through the undergrowth with eggs and larvae flying everywhere……no no - just joking - but I did follow her closely enough to get a few pics and a video or two of her visit.

https://youtube.com/shorts/q1jC_we1Xrk?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/vs7atAl0P3U?feature=share

I returned to the site on another occasion later in the week and although I immensely enjoyed extending my search and locating caterpillars across a wider zone, I didn’t see any further adults.

I think the unexpected nature of the encounter, the magnificence of the species and the self-satisfying (I must allow myself a win amongst my failures) knowledge that my discovery of the immature stages led me to the adults and not the other way around combined to make the experience as memorable as it was.

I have now stopped exerting pressure to change the dates and location for next year - I reckon the same again would be just about perfect.

[Padfield]

Fantastic observations, Ben. I can only imagine your exhilaration as you watched the female scouting the tree and laying. The slow-motion video brings out their flight brilliantly.

Two-tailed pashas are quite fearless butterflies. I first saw them in Gibraltar in 1983, and was quite frustrated trying to photograph them as they circled me and landed on me - usually on my camera hand. And of course, they are a true taste of Africa in Europe.

Guy

[Wurzel]

Brilliant stuff Ben I too know the ways of the family holiday, always a not quite the right time or to quite the right place but as you found something usually turns up to make it all worthwhile

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

So pleased you got your audience with Two Tailed Pasha, Ben. It's an incredible butterfly...quite out of place in Europe (like Guy says, a taste of Africa).

Your video clip shows off its strong flight extremely well as the female buzzes around that strawberry tree.

Never seen more than half a dozen myself, so there's still something intoxicating when I encounter this butterfly. It's a real show-stopper.

[Pete Eeles]

Absolutely superb, Ben! Just goes to show that, when you understand the ecology of a species (behaviour, food plants etc.), a whole new world opens up before you! Watching a Spotted Fritillary lay on a species of Woundwort with you (David M was busy with others!) while in the Italian Alps was a highlight of my year - for example!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Benjamin]

Thanks for all the positivity folks. I haven’t been to Africa, and have only encountered two-tailed pasha in Europe briefly before this encounter, but I feel I know the genus a little from my years in the butterfly house. We had various species in our Africa shipment and they were always a real presence in the flight areas - so powerful and so full of character.

[Benjamin]

Not to compete with all the excellent pics coming out of Worthing in recent days (and still to come!), but I did take a few of the group, and as many are UKB stalwarts I thought I should share them here. Apologies for dashing off without saying goodbye - as usual I’d already risked missing school pick up by hanging around slightly longer than I should have.

[bugboy]

Look at all those dirty old men a few for the mating Cloudies, something still missing from my collection.

Great to see you amongst all the other familiar faces today

[Neil Hulme]

And I thought Sid James and Benny Hill had long gone!
Great pics, Ben. Hope to see you back in Sunny Worthing soon.
BWs, Neil

[Katrina]

Brilliant photos - gives a true representation on the day - excellent butterflies and company, :
Also
for the mating Cloudies

[David M]

That beachside habitat looks fairly Mediterranean, so perhaps not a surprise that it hosts a few 'exotics'.

Mating Clouded Yellows is a nice distraction to have, even when you have Long Tailed Blues surrounding you.

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots of the Cloudies and LTBs Ben and also good to Dave back out there

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Benjamin]

Well after the first serious frosts of the year those photos of late summer Worthing suddenly feel like a distant chapter of the butterfly year.

Thanks for the comments as usual, the photos of the group with the mating LTBs are some of my favourites for the year.

Autumn:

I’m well into autumn/winter purple emperor searches now, and it is indeed looking like numbers are significantly down on previous counts. I’m hoping that with another week or so in the field I might struggle my way towards 20.

As always it’s hard to pin down exactly why numbers are reduced this year. As mentioned previously there was much talk of heat/drought leading to egg failure earlier in the year. Nick and Samantha Brownley combined with Trevor Pendleton undertook a painstaking egg survey in June/July which highlighted just how significant an issue this was, in Sherwood Forest at least.

Whether this would be reflected elsewhere remained an open question and I must admit I thought it unlikely that I’d see much evidence of it at my site. As I don’t routinely monitor eggs (I don’t have time to do it well enough in June/July) i knew I wouldn’t pick up on any issues until around about now, when I locate the surviving L3 caterpillars in hibernation.

So numbers are down, and egg failure appears to be the likely reason, but there has also been some significant woodland management around the site. Some key areas of sallow have been removed and rides that usually contribute a few larvae to my total have been heavily flailed. There’s no doubt that some larvae will have been lost through this process, but on the other hand large areas of undisturbed sallow right at the heart of the breeding ground are also showing fewer larvae than previous years.

Looking at the weather maps for the period (I was abroad) it seems that lack of rainfall rather than excessive temperature was the most significant anomaly. This would fit in with the theory of egg desiccation, and as we know iris is particularly fussy when it comes to selecting sheltered spots, often low down in what appear to be relatively humid (close to streams etc) areas we can assume that humidity is a key factor when providing the best conditions for developing eggs.

It’s disappointing not to have more of an insight - after all that is the whole point of spending so much time on the project, but as I say I just can’t commit the time to the eggs/early instars stage. I’m confident that the picture I reveal over winter is really accurate, but what happens in late summer, and how we arrive at the winter situation, will have to remain frustratingly obscure.

Egg desiccation is certainly the front runner in my mind, as caterpillars are being located in most of the usual spots, but just not at the usual level. So I’m sure females flew the usual circuits, investigated the usual areas and settled to lay on the usual trees. Could they have laid fewer eggs than usual under difficult conditions? That’s surely possible, but if a tree is good enough to receive one egg, then i can’t see why it wouldn’t be good enough to receive the usual half a dozen or so that a successful visit should render. Similarly if a female is producing eggs and is out laying them, then I would imagine she should be able to deliver the usual amount. Of course I’m guessing here, but it seems more likely that the usual quantity of eggs were deposited and it was after this process that the issue was encountered.

Another possibility of course is that under unusual conditions, eggs have been deposited in unusual places, but having nearly completed my searches I’m confident that the prime area has not changed, and the distribution map will match previous years very well.

I haven’t taken many photographs yet, but will be sure to spend a day on that once the search is completed. With leaf drop being quite late on many trees this year (but early on those drought affected) the dangle leaf season is still in full swing and I must find them before they are blown away.

Caterpillar theme for this year:

Living through the covid response over these last few years hasn’t been much fun for anyone (perhaps with the exception of the millions with safe jobs that didn’t much like going to work!) but as someone who hasn’t always agreed with the narrative it’s been eye opening in many ways and the whole sorry affair has led me to this year’s caterpillar theme : people executed for witchcraft. I’ll introduce the full stable once I have one, but for now here are a few:

[Benjamin]

Not PE but WLH benefitting from snowy protection

Winter:

With the continued frosts and even a decent fall of snow the overwintering conditions in the woods have been very good of late.

Caterpillars that select forks as their overwintering sites have an excellent chance of being buried in snow or ice. This must be the safest way to pass the winter and is most likely a factor in all the sites that are chosen. Those that align next to buds are very often on more or less horizontal branches that collect snow readily, and even those in cracks and crevices tend to select the upperside of horizontal branches/twigs. It’s only really the chance of being buried by snow that makes these choices seem reasonable, as they are really very visible and can quite easily be spotted by foraging birds. Wouldn’t the underside of horizontal branches make more sense? It’s extremely unusual to find a caterpillar hibernating on the underside of a horizontal branch, and although there could be other explanations for this, I think the chance to be buried in icy safety for the long winter months must be a key factor.

Of course having snow last for any length of time is highly unlikely in my woods and without snow the sites selected start to seem very poor indeed. Forks are particularly problematic as in mild conditions flocks of foraging tits hop very deliberately from fork to fork searching for winter sustenance. A plump L3 PE cat doesn’t disappear in a fork very well at all, and although the colour matching can be really superb, i can’t imagine it’s enough alone to make fork dwelling a sensible choice.

It’s not unusual that caterpillars move to forks quite late in autumn, having already aligned next to buds for some time. Matthew Oates reported such movement with several of the wild caterpillars he’s following this year, and wondered whether ‘they know something we don’t?’. The cold weather came shortly afterwards.

Hardly conclusive, but if I were going to gamble on a fork I’d leave it until just before the winter snows arrive - it must be the worst place to be in autumn, but the best in a snowy winter. Despite the lack of regular snow here, I still see lots opting for forks - perhaps triggered by temporary conditions that suggest snows that usually fail to materialise. We’re at the edge of the purple emperor range here, and I record 70% winter predation each year. I bet it’s much lower in the snowy European heartlands.