www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

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

Vince

A most interesting observation.

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

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
Vince

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


Vince

Vince Massimo wrote: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.

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

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?