Mission Statement- "Keeping a Yellow Dream Alive' (Helping the Brimstone species)
We need to know more about some of our most loved butterfly species, to fall in love with them and help protect them as vulnerable to a changing climate".
Spring Garden 2022
After small Brimstone instar caterpillars were seen on these young Buckthorn, in a pot, a small mosquito net was placed over these plants, to protect the caterpillars from birds higher up a food chain and other insects, such as wasps & possible parasites.
June 9th 2022
It was thought, nearly all made it, to be Brimstone butterflies. As four surprised me by pupating on or inside the flower pot, I thought about design changes and thought not to use this specific design next time, where the net height was maintained by a flower pot, on top of a bamboo stick.
Brimstone butterflies take about, and only 16 days in pupation, where they might be very vulnerable to spiders, wasps and birds.
The micro mesh larval, habitat protection mesh, was removed, with just days remaining for butterflies to emerge from pupa.
Percentage of male to female Brimstone butterflies and Lincoln outdoor climate timings.
11 Pupae were monitored, 6 were male, 5 were female in emergence. Emergence was from July 1st-July 14th 2022
The first 5 to emerge were all male and from the first 7 to emerge, just one female (N0.6).
Last year we monitored 4 pupae, the first three to emerge were male, with the last one being female
My newest video link aims to help educate people with a better understanding Brimstone butterflies, at a very specific moment, in their life cycles: https://youtu.be/kJoAIMHhF2w
Last edited by PhilBJohnson on Thu Jan 05, 2023 8:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
Peacock Butterfly Species, rushed to you.
It was thought that we needed, a bit less happifying people with freshly emerged (from pupa) “picture perfect” peacock butterflies, nectaring on summer flowers before hibernation and do much more, to help people improve an understanding of Peacocks life cycle needs, so that we see more of them, in our futures.
It was also thought that this published public video wasn’t without critique, but was a first attempt by myself, to help explain the species life cycles. I understood that some significant moments, in this species life cycles, were missing from this video.
Some also thought, this came at a time, when both Peacock and Small tortoiseshell had not done that well locally, in “passing on the batton” for butterfly numbers next breeding Spring, with a dry 2022 summer and heat extremes not helping some larval survival to maturity:
"Fritillary violets" for a better future
It was thought five of our native Fritillary butterfly species, had an evolved local dependancy on native violets, as a larval food plant. As some knew, Fritillary butterflies were much more generally numerous in the UK, just before World Wars, we might assume that native violets were also much more generally numerous, having not been weeded in expanding urban developments (and/or lawn cut below 70mm from ground).
Sometimes someone insisted of big Spring floral displays in our native deciduous woodlands, instead of violets competing in similar light-space requirements (violets leaf all year around) with less aesthetic visual appeal to some, than larger flowers.
Heart shaped leaves. In leaf all year in some reduced ice climates. Climate changed.
Many (or nearly all) ancient Churchyards in Lincolnshire had them, often growing in the shade of ancient church buildings, or ancient headstones, where the grass was not mown short, like a bowling green.
65-100mm grass cut off the ground was thought to be appropriate for removing some “over-storey” (or canopy ground cover, above violets)
It might have been a cut like that, which increased local light levels a little, causing some plants to flower, out of seasonal Spring.
"Fritillary violets" with unfamiliar Autumn flowering, Lincolnshire “
“If it was King George VI and something like:
“What do we do about our Fritillary butterflies?”
It might have needed to be heard in the context of a Sovereign reign in the period of World War II and urgent, pressing State Duties. I thought that we need not see history repeat itself in one sense, but we look back and learn something from our history, to help with a better future.
Last edited by PhilBJohnson on Wed Sep 28, 2022 5:08 pm, edited 4 times in total.
It was thought, there were only, approx. 60 butterfly species, native, resident in the United Kingdom .
I/we were working on a "Larval food plant & Butterfly Key Guide". Here was my ongoing, refined contribution:
Native Larval food plant dependancies, for UK butterfly species:
Locally D (Locally Dependant). Where a larval food plant was very landscape geology & habitat specific, for example Milk Parsley.
ND (Nationally Dependant). Where a larval foodplant species, was thought to be the sole dependancy of a butterfly species, for example, Kidney vetch.
Semi-D (Semi-dependant) . Where a butterfly species, appeared to have a shared dependancy with different florae species in the UK, to sustain it's distribution and sustainable life cycles
Native BS (Native butterfly species) UK (United Kingdom).
less Common Dog-violet or "Fritillary violet" (Viola riviniana).
Total =5 Locally D UK Native BS (Locally Dependant, United Kingdom, native butterfly species).
For me, it got a bit complicated here, as it was also thought Fritillaries might use, very similar looking cross pollinated violet hybrid species (or "subspecies") , so I thought that this might need some more cross referencing by someone else.
Many Violetes were shade loving, possibly in leaf all year, so sometimes grew better, under less well trodden paths, being possibly more vulnerable to trample, than say Lesser celandine and wood anemone, that shared similar Spring time light-space.
#Heathviolet #Sweetviolet #Early dog-violet (early flowering might have been noticed)
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica),
Total = 5 dependant or semi-dependant UK butterfly species:
More detailed extrapolation:
2 UK Nationally D, native, resident species (Peacock & Small Tortoiseshell (latin names?), social caterpillars huddled together, to survive last Spring frosts, one May.
2 Locally D resident butterfly species (Comma semi-D and more recently Red Admiral semi-locally dependant & also seasonally migrant).
1 semi-seasonally dependant migrant species (Painted Lady). Thought not to have naturally life cycled through the winter in the UK, unless recently.
Stinging Nettle. Perennial, often spread by creeping root, or root division.Leaves & stem can sting, causing nettle rash, so needed a well thought through planting scheme with foresight, for example, at the back of a large garden, possibly including a woodland edge, or river bank.
Jack by the hedge, or Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata).
Total = 4 Species dependancies
Orange-tip Semi D & Locally D UK Native BS.
Green-veined White, first annual generation, Semi D & Locally D UK Native BS. Subsequent annual generations, thought to be Semi D & Locally D
Large White first annual generation, seasonally, Locally D Subsequent annual generations Locally D & Seasonal Migrant
Small White, first annual generation SD & LD UK NBS, subsequent annual generations Semi D & Locally D, seasonal migrant.
Alliaria petiolata, tap root to "water table" loving, hedge might provide shade with less grazing species.
Bird’s foot trefoil (latin name?) At least 2 Locally D UK NBS) .
Kidney Vetch (Latin name?). Possibly one totally, Local D & National D Native BS
Horseshoe Vetch (Latin name?). Two Locally D & National D NBS, calcarious geology.
Buckthorn (Calcarious geology) & Alder Buckthorn (possibly neutral to Ericaceous soil). One Locally D & Nationally D UK Native BS. Buckthorn planting scheme requirements might foresight berries, not to be eaten by children.
Native grasses (Latin names?). Many locally dependant butterfly species. Some of these grasses were sometimes not wanted in or near neighbours lawns, where wind blown seed, or garden boundary creep, might germinate grass seed some distance away from parent plant.
Spring Migration of Butterflies
In UK, Some, or all of May might have been too cold for migration of butterflies. May also had, some very seasonally hot weather, based on daylight length, weather systems (including wind speed and direction. It was previously thought that May might see influx of Painted Lady, Large White, Small White, Red Admiral. It was thought that hibernated Small Tortoiseshell, did not migrate but a later summer generation (seen coming in across beaches and just carrying on), might have done.
Painted Lady had time to quick high summer life cycle in UK, before too cold for long distance flight, about October.
Did you know?
"All hibernated UK butterflies, were thought, not to naturally migrate under normal weather conditions".
The subsequent annual generation, of Small Tortoiseshell, Large Tortoiseshell and Peacock, might do.
The Comma species liked woodland.
Brimstones liked leafy woods, with preference to hide under a leaf, rather than seek long, open water crossing.
#CloudedYellow was thought might Life Cycle in the UK, having over-wintered along the south coast, where off sea air temperatures, made coastal winters, extra mild. "Under The Cliffs" terminology, might have been used, for another species.
Last edited by PhilBJohnson on Wed Sep 28, 2022 3:35 am, edited 2 times in total.
Common, frequently speeched nomenclature, what might it have been? UK Hairstreaks
Purple hairstreak or “Oak hairstreak“ (Local Oak life cycle dependancy)
“Large Brown hairstreak” (Local Blackthorn life cycle dependancy)
“Lesser Brown hairstreak” (Local Blackthorn life cycle dependancy)
(formally in speech, Black-hairstreak)
“Elm hairstreak” (Elm life cycle dependancy)
(formerly in speech, White-letter hairstreak)
Elm and Oak Hairstreak are extremely apt, Phil, and betulae could better be described as the 'Orange Hairstreak', given that this colour is the most prominent in this species. For the record, Black Hairstreak might be more appropriately known as 'Privet Hairstreak' with regard to its propensity to nectar from this source at the near exclusion of any other.
Green Hairstreak is rightly named, unless you live near the Mediterranean where you also have Chapman's to throw into the mix.
Original post, before ending: Thu Oct 20, 2022 9:19 am
“Pieridae Brassicaceae”
(Brassicaceae, wider florae family, including Brassica). Green-veined white (Oviposited as single egg, larvae green camauflaged)
(Female oviposited on Green-veined leaves)
Why was Small white, not the smallest member of Pieridae family?
#“Small brassicaceous white” #WoodSmallestWhite
#Wood Whites (Inclusive of Irish sub-species, with different habitat, larval food plant requirements)
“Mottled-green Underside”, “Mottled-green Camouflaged Underside”, “Orange-tip forewing male upperside” formerly and/or Orange-tip
Why was an average female “white looking, female (“Orangeless-tip”), slightly smaller than an average female Small white?
(“Orangeless-tip” oviposited as single egg, on evolutionarily selected, native flowers in the Brassicaceae family. In relatively cooler Spring/ early Summer UK temperatures, some south faced males found females at rest, camouflaged, wings closed, with upper wing tucked behind camouflaged lower wing, before direct sunlight prompted a female flight response.
oviposited as single egg, larvae green camauflaged).
“Small brassica white” formerly and/or Small White
(Oviposited as single egg, larvae green camauflaged) “Large brassica white” formerly and/or Large White
(Gregarious larvae, eggs laid together (or in batches), not particularly camouflaged. Might have been more poisonous to other fauna, compared with another UK Pieridae larvae).
Why was Small white, not the smallest member of Pieridae family? #“Small brassica white”
“Pieridae Clovers, Vetches and Trefoils” “Migrant Yellow” and/or Clouded Yellow & “Wood Smallest White” and/or Wood White
Wood white and Clouded yellow apparently life cycled using Birds-foot trefoil (Both oviposited as single egg, larvae green camouflaged)
i Referenced: UK butterflies October 19th pm, 2022
Brimstone (Oviposited as single egg, larvae green camauflaged)
Why was the Brimstone species (a member of the Whites and Yellows Pieridae family), not at all dependant on Brassicaceae or Birds-foot trefoil but was dependant on two small species of deciduous tree (or “Brimstone Bushes”)?
Only member of UK Pieridae to Over-frost winter in hibernation
Only member of UK Pieridae to Single Annual brood, apart from Black-veined White
Lycaenidae
Why was there a UK family called:
Hairstreaks, Copper and Blues?
#LargeCopper (Became extinct in UK)
Black-veined white (became UK extinct & was understood by Sir Winston Churchill)
Larvae fed on two of the most common hedge line trees in Lincolnshire.
"The primary larval food plants were Blackthorn & Hawthorns"
i Referenced UK butterflies October 20th 2022 am
Might there be a single Annual brood in climate changed England?
Larvae traditionally over-wintered (gregarious huddle to help keep warm).
4 English Pieridae, might have been sub-divided into “Mustard Whites”
All four of the “Mustard Whites” had latin names, that helped express (or gave clues) to their species dependancies:
Orange-tip butterfly (OT) Latin: Anthocaris cardamines in “Cloud Cuckoo flower land” Anthocaris combines Greek words for flower and grace.Cardamines referes to the bittercress genus of plants in the wider mustard family, that included Cuckoo flower (Latin name: Cardamine pratensis).
In Lincolnshire, England, the most common Primary larval food plant for OT was Garlic Mustard (Scientific name: Alliaria petiolate) in the wider Brassicaceae (Mustard) family.
The Orange-tip butterfly had one single annual generation and oviposited on or just under Spring flowers in the wider mustard family.
A possibly more recent scientific OT extrapolation that did not include grace to mean "cannibalistic larvae:
“Antho brassicaceae” (“Flower Mustard”) or “Flower Mustard Pieridae”
Aesthetic Science: “Mottled-green Camouflaged Underside” Out of it’s two known “Primary Larval food plants” (Cuckoo flower might have been more common in Ireland than Garlic mustard), apparently OT was most camouflaged, at rest, with it’s forewing tucked behind it’s underwing, at rest on a Garlic mustard flower.
Other Pieridae
Wood Whites (“Wood Smallest English White”), Brimstone & “Migrant Clouded Yellow”
Question and argument for Pieridae Family sub-division:
Why was an average female Orange-tip butterfly, slightly smaller than an average female Small white, with them both being in the same Pieridae family?
A key in connected thought:: Brassicaceae. Mustard Family (wider whites floral family including Brassica)
“Pieridae Brassicaceae” (Mustard Family Whites)
#"Large Veg.Brassica White"
#Small Veg. Brassica White" (Specifically, these two species had larvae that liked more than just cabbage).
Larval Food Plants (LFP) for UK Butterflies
For a butterfly’s objective identity, LFP's might have been clarified into UK wild native & non native, possibly garden plants.
If a butterfly species had more than one generation a year, some plants, might have been seasonally grazed more, or less, to give someone a better understanding of which plant someone might want to grow more of, for more butterfly life cycles.
Specifically, some larval food plants, might have been better than another, for a species over-wintering timings, if the LFP stayed in winter leaf longer and/or provided more microclimatic shelter, by being in leaf, seasonally longer, or evergreen.
A further simple larval food plant (LFP) clarification, might have been acidity of geology and soil types, a larval food plant was found growing in:
Acidic,
Acidic-Neutral,
Neutral,
Neutral to Calcarious &
Calcarious (Limestone and Chalk geology).
then:
Shade or
Full (normal weather temperature), sun.
Thanks Benjamin, Pieris Brassicae
was thought to be by someone, an ancient scientific name defined by Carl Linnaeus (1758), possibly not just a name derived from greek mythology. “Large Pieris Brassicaceae”, a vernacular name might be: “Large Veg. Brassica Mustard White”
and Pieris rapae ( “Small Pieris Brassicaceae” ), a vernacular name might be: “Small Veg. Brassica Mustard White”
To a lay person, it was unclear, if plants were grouped into the Mustard Family, because of these butterflies dependancies, or because of the general characteristics, of the more closely related plants. Seemingly, both species had evolutionary dependancies, so oviposited on plants in the wider Mustard Family (Brassicaceae). Differences in Larval food plant selection, between these two species:
“Large Pieris Brassicaceae” oviposited eggs in groups (or batches) so had a tendency that chose plants with a larger leaf, than a single egg ovipositor like "Small Pieris Brassicaceae", thus the “Small Mustard White” had a tendency to choose plants with a relatively smaller leaf, for example, Aubretia in late summer, Soth West or West facing aspect (Warmer afternoon or evening sunlight) where the plant provided some over-wintering shelter, for a larva in a relatively lower seasonal temperature (“Semi-diapause”) before pupation walk, on a warmer winter day.
A Large "Pieris Brassicaceae" had a tendency to oviposit, concealed under a leaf, but the gregarious larvae, might have been more successful feeding in “full sun” (a South facing aspect) where larvae might leave a host plant before full development and feed near by on another (or similar) host plant in the Brassicaceae family. Larvae Development in Overwintering timing
Both species in the United Kingdom had overlapping generational life cycles by late summer, partly because of migration and also because of early and later Spring/Summer emergence from pupae, depending on local micro-climatic pupae temperatures.
Larvae from both species that over-wintered, had a tendancy to pupate on human built structures that conducted heat less, or were slightly less winter insulated, providing a slightly warmer micro-climate for pupae.
In natural England, those less heat conductive places, a larva might have found to pupate, could have been wood, in a sheltered location.
The slowed down winter life cycle of both species, were vulnerable to predation and hosting parasites, so a less seen over-wintered Spring /Summer butterfly generation, might have been celebrated by a Butterfly Conservationist!
Wild Flower Reserved
This was some feedback from one of our gardening Clients:
"Thank you so much for this super professional looking video. It’s a wonderful record of your work and great for us to see the wild flower areas"
"You should be extremely proud of your efforts and the way it has turned out. Lovely to see all the wild life it has attracted.
"We’re very happy for you to share the video with others, particularly if it encourages other people to create wild flower areas in their own gardens.
"I would like it to be seen, in the context of hottest ever recorded temperature in Lincolnshire in 2022, during a relatively short heatwave (if that was a drought, the UK population of 1976, compared with 2022 scared some better informed, in comparison with amount of hose and tap water, needed to be used)."
I would also like to see it in the context of English, native wildflowers used and "honesty", for the plant's "leave me alone" architectural characteristics and nectar source, in comparison with another biennial, garlic mustard (Primary larval food plant, for an Orange-tip butterfly)."
Kind Regards
Last edited by PhilBJohnson on Thu Jan 05, 2023 8:42 am, edited 3 times in total.
"It was about 18 minutes long and included 2022, Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire & removing content, that might have been incorrect from a previous update. We hope you guys enjoy it. Happy New year!
Thanks David,
Here was a picture my Wife composed for me, taken on September 1st 2022. It is a picture. of a framed picture, of a Purple Emperor butterfly I photographed at Bookham Commons last decade.
I did not see a Pirple Emperpr butterfly last year in person. My Wife’s picture is very tasteful, I think:
”Common & English Oak hairstreak“
Or “Oak hairstreak”
formerly Purple hairstreak.
Local Oak life cycle dependancy, Butterfly emerged from pupa under fallen deciduous Oak leaves). Butterflies spent much time, in Oak Canopy.
“Large Orange-brown Blackthorn hairstreak” (LOBBH) Formerly “Brown Hairstreak”
Largest English Hairstreak. Local Blackthorn life cycle dependancy, spent most of it’s life cycle, over-wintering as an egg, on Blackthorn scrub (Small plants). Adults spent much time, in deciduous tree canopy.
“Lesser Brown Blackthorn hairstreak” (LBBH) Formerly Black Hairstreak
Thought to have been apparently name fitted that way, because identified last, or almost last, with progressive cultural awareness. As far as I knew, no UK butterfly species, had been named “Black” prior to that, that had become popular in UK butterfly nomenclature, apart from extinct Black-veined white.
Local Blackthorn life cycle dependancy, relatively smaller than LBBH and generally lighter in colour, than Elm Hairstreak). Butterflies spent much time, in mature Blackthorn canopy.
“Elm hairstreak” Formerly White-letter Hairstreak
Elm life cycle dependancy, or hybrids from Elm, formerly, White-letter hairstreak. Possibly improved habitat using disease resistant Elm
David M wrote: ↑Wed Oct 19, 2022 9:37 pm
Elm and Oak Hairstreak are extremely apt, Phil, and betulae could better be described as the 'Orange Hairstreak', given that this colour is the most prominent in this species. For the record, Black Hairstreak might be more appropriately known as 'Privet Hairstreak' with regard to its propensity to nectar from this source at the near exclusion of any other.
Green Hairstreak is rightly named, unless you live near the Mediterranean where you also have Chapman's to throw into the mix.
Native, wild Privet flowering, might have been in time, with this generally, seasonally, earliest emerging hairstreak 2017 “Juneish” - (Apart from Green hairstreak, that was often Spring emerging, about May time, recently).
“Green hairstreak”
Or: “Spring Green Hairstreak”
If naming was with regard to visual appearance, all (or most) English Hairstreaks (“Small wing tails”), had an evolved camouflage advantage tendency, to rest with their wings closed, the larger Purple and Brown Hairstreaks, possibly less so.
With regard to wider European species, some different species might have looked visually similar and in comparison with, might have made English species, look like sub-species. European continental species with an original wide habitat flight range and diversity of larval food plant dependencies, might have evolved in less isolated colonies. Apart from that general comment, i thought, I did not yet have enough expertise in some other EU butterfly species, to comment much, but agree that a wider context might be more helpful, in a more travelled understanding.
