Notes and Views - March 2017

[Vince Massimo]

Scarce Tortoiseshell

Another historic sighting has now been discovered in old images. The report comes from Peter Willmott, who photographed a Scarce Tortoiseshell at Salcey Forest, Northants on 9th March 2014. This date implies that the butterfly overwintered here and must have arrived in the UK during the summer of 2013, thus pre-dating the observed main influx of this species into Britain in 2015.

Peter Willmott 9-March-2014

Reported in UKB Personal Diary viewtopic.php?f=29&t=9248#p117327

Vince

[David M]

A most interesting observation.

Is this species overwintering in tiny numbers clandestinely in the UK?

[Vince Massimo]

An unusual sighting of a mating pair of Small Tortoiseshells by Neil Hulme at Ferring Rife, Sussex on 13th March. Reported on BC Sussex Twitter https://twitter.com/BCSussex/status/841385007268651009

Neil Hulme

Vince

[Vince Massimo]

A female Large Tortoiseshell was photographed by Neil Hulme at North Stoke (near Amberley), Sussex on 28th March. Reported in UKB personal diary viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4065&start=2480#p117866

Neil Hulme 28-March-2017

Another individual, this time a male, was photographed in the same location on 3rd April by Paul Atkin
Reported in UKB personal diary viewtopic.php?t=8077&start=1000#p118202

Paul Atkin 3-April-2017

Yet another male was spotted at North Stoke on 9th April by Paul Cox. Reported on Sussex BC website under that date http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

Paul Cox 9-April-2017

There must now be high hopes that this site will produce fresh adults in July.


Vince

[David M]

An unusual sighting of a mating pair of Small Tortoiseshells by Neil Hulme at Ferring Rife, Sussex on 13th March. Reported on BC Sussex Twitter https://twitter.com/BCSussex/status/841385007268651009

Surprised no-one has commented on this. I've been keeping an eye out for this for many years but have never seen it.

Well done, Neil. Another scoop.

If you can capture Peacocks and Red Admirals similarly engaged then we will need to declare you a God!

PS - interesting that the antennae aren't visible on either sex.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks, David. I'm having some nice white robes fitted this week.
Well spotted on the antenna front. Although the butterflies had only been in cop for about five minutes at this point, they are asleep. From the limited data I have (observation of three couplings) there does seem to be a pattern, with females finally succumbing as the afternoon chills - all these pairings are set to last through the night. I've no doubt that some occur earlier in the day, but all of those that I've watched will be getting breakfast in bed.
BWs, Neil

[David M]

Thanks for that, Neil. I suspected that:

a) this species coupled in the undergrowth and/or

b) the timing was when human eyes generally weren't upon them

God knows how many courting Tortoiseshells I've watched over the years never to see an actual pairing.

Are you as au fait with the modus operandum with Peacocks?