Butterflies: Why are there so many?

[Jax]

Seeing quite a Admirals, Commas and Cabbage whites in the last few days, and plenty of them.

 

Snapped this a few weeks ago in the local butterfly meadows

 

[mushymanrob]

Seeing quite a Admirals, Commas and Cabbage whites in the last few days, and plenty of them.

 

Snapped this a few weeks ago in the local butterfly meadows

 

 

yeah, its been a good year for ringlets

[Jax]

Loads out here again today, fantastic really.

[mushymanrob]

numbers subdued here, due to it being cool under cloud.. next weeks warm up should see numbers increase again..

[Manchester_Sunset]

Lots of white cabbage butterflies, having to put them neighbours garden though, so they don't lay eggs onto the vegetable patch.

 

Some lovely peacock butterflies about.

[Methuselah]

First painted lady today...

[mushymanrob]

think peacocks will be past their peak by the time it warms up later in the week...  numbers seen will decline i suspect.

[mushymanrob]

had my first painted lady today

 

a couple of red admirals, tortoishells numbers inproving, holly blue, brimstone, and a late gatekeeper.

[Methuselah]

Saw a teeny weeny (maybe ³/_⁴" across) one today...Golden brown with a black ring in the top outside corner of each front wing. Any ideas? 

[cornish snow]

Seen all the usual suspects on my buddlea this week,apart from comma's. Haven't seen one of those all year.

Anyone seen many?

[mushymanrob]

Saw a teeny weeny (maybe ³/_⁴" across) one today...Golden brown with a black ring in the top outside corner of each front wing. Any ideas? 

 

gatekeeper?... skipper? (large or small)

 

Seen all the usual suspects on my buddlea this week,apart from comma's. Haven't seen one of those all year.

Anyone seen many?

 

had the best year for commas recently, had 2-3 every day after being pretty absent. not seen many now though..

 

speckled wood numbers appear to have crashed... they liked the wetter summers/milder winters.. think the cold march did for them

[Methuselah]

Thanks for that, mushy...It was smaller than a gatekeeper...

[SomeLikeItHot]

Loads of Peacocks and whites, and a few Commas and speckled wood and Small heaths seen around our house. On My recent holiday saw many Tortiose shells in the pennines along Hadrian's wall and in the Lakes district, and Cairngorms - scotch argus there also.

[Crepuscular Ray]

Thanks for that, mushy...It was smaller than a gatekeeper...

They can vary in size - the wingspan ranges from 37-48 mm.

[Methuselah]

They can vary in size - the wingspan ranges from 37-48 mm.

It was smaller than that, CR...

[knocker]

These gave me a bit of a start in the garden.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2013 by knocker

[Terminal Moraine]

Plenty of Peacocks, Meadow Browns and Whites in this area but not much else.

No Red Admirals, Small Coppers, Small Tortoiseshells or Speckled Wood; Tortoiseshells are usually one of the most common butterflies around here but I've seen only two all year.

[mushymanrob]

Thanks for that, mushy...It was smaller than a gatekeeper...

 

 

They can vary in size - the wingspan ranges from 37-48 mm.

 

expect its a skipper then.. large or small they are about the same size/colour... or small copper?

 

Interesting find, giant caterpillar?

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2013/08/19/surprise-as-giant-caterpillar-found-in-garden-telford/

 

lol..i knew what was coming... its an anual event, everytime a large elephant hawk moth catterpillar is discovered.

 

theres been an influx of clouded yellows... keep an eye out for these rare summer visitors!

[knocker]

Plenty of these around today?

 

 

[Terminal Moraine]

Just to confound what I posted earlier, today I saw the first Comma and Speckled Wood this year.

Still no Small Tortoiseshell or Red Admiral though.

[Methuselah]

The tortoiseshells have come back; the peacocks have buggered off, as has the painted lady. Where are the red admirals, this year?

[cyclonic happiness]

Interesting find, giant caterpillar?

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2013/08/19/surprise-as-giant-caterpillar-found-in-garden-telford/

Funny you should mention this! 

 

At work I found the same huge caterpillar and I put it in amongst some potted spuds.

A couple of days later it pupated and is not a rather large chrysalis .

 

I've put it under a large pot and am waiting for it to turn into said 'Elephant Hawk Moth, then I'm gonna take dozens of macro photos of it before letting it go :-)

 

I shall put updates on here :-)

 

 

 

[knocker]

Plenty of these around today?

 

Is this a Small Tortoiseshell?

Edited August 21, 2013 by knocker

[mushymanrob]

Is this a Small Tortoiseshell?

 

yes... they are small tortoishells

 

(although just tortoishell should suffice as the large tortoishell is extinct in the uk i believe).

[mushymanrob]

The tortoiseshells have come back; the peacocks have buggered off, as has the painted lady. Where are the red admirals, this year?

 

peacocks season is mid july - mid aug... their numbers will now dwindle, by sept theyll be all but gone.

 

admirals are migratory, but can overwinter in good years...reckon the spring cold did for them.

 

tortoishells unlike peacocks will carry on into sept.

 

painted lady is migratory, best numbers are seen when we have a decent southerly in may, they breed and by august theres loads. unless its been eaten, itll be around somewhere.