Butterfly News

Butterfly News

Last updated on 7th April 2008

Rapid decline of much-loved Small Tortoiseshell

The rapid decline of the Small Tortoiseshell is now under invesgation, by scientists. Please click here to read the artcile, from our main HQ website.

If you see any Small Tortoiseshells please email us your sightings, or submit them by using our on-line recording page.

Camberwell Beauty Sighting

A Camberwell Beauty was seen in the Barming area on 3rd April 2008

Camberwell Beauty

Something Amiss in the Countryside?

January began wet and dull but there was promise of colder weather to come so I looked forward to some serious frosts and a more "normal" winter than of late. I had yet to begin my usual search for Purple Hairstreak eggs but my planned start was curtailed by a very severe back problem. I was loading a sheet of A4 into a shreader when, wallop, agony. This was to be the case for the whole of January and all thoughts of field work were forgotten in bouts of chiropractics and acupuncture that lasted well into February. I even missed out on a White Hill work party, a first for me in years but I simply could not walk let alone man a brush cutter. Things looked a little better on the 24th when we awoke to half-an-inch of snow, not much, but a start perhaps? Afraid not. The remainder of the month was mild and very unlike January in every respect.

The first frost of February appeared on the 7th but was not at all severe but was followed by 2" of snow that gridlocked Kent the following day. This was short-lived and rain soon cleared it to leave some unseasonably mild days once again. Despite this weather, I failed to see a single butterfly when I felt sure a Peacock or Brimstone would show. One or two records were coming in but nothing to excite me too much and wet, foul weather followed for much of the month.

A hint of what was to follow began in March as the daytime temperatures were exceptionally mild and I saw my first Commas on the 12th. In fact, Commas outnumbered most spring butterflies and appear to have done very well indeed but the moth count was way down. A short session in a nearby wood only produced eleven species with only the Small Quaker in any numbers, far removed from a normal year where fifty plus would have been expected. A lamping session at White Hill was carried out in foul weather on the 23rd and no moths were recorded despite a concerted effort.

If March was matter-of-fact, April was a real belter. I took some time off work and enjoyed a week of beautiful weather, catching up on my walking in Sussex. The 2nd rewarded me with my first of many Orange Tips and various whites, not in Kent but welcome after such a poor start. A mothing session in a normally very productive wood at Kilndown rewarded me with twenty species but, once again, the number of individuals was pitifully low. A visit to High Halden gave me several Brimstones and Peacocks and dozens of Commas but no sign of the Small Tortoiseshell yet again. This butterfly is in all sorts of trouble in Kent and we still do not understand why. A flash of orange had me racing along a track and thrashing in all direction to finally secure a Light Orange Underwing, a first for me and most inspiring. In my mad dash, had wandered into a private woodland and stumbled upon some very good habitat and, after a little investigation, secured permission to run a trap later in the week.

Contrary to the weather of the previous week, the night of the 10th was quite cold but I was able to place my traps under trees and settled down for a session in anticipation of a good night. Just twelve species were recorded from two traps, not only disappointing but also very worrying as this was becoming a trend. A catch of just ten species from my local wood on the 13th only confirmed my fears. Something was wrong. Orange Tips continued to do reasonably well but a search of the foodplants later in the month revealed very few larvae and this could not be the result of poor weather during the flight period as it was now ridiculously hot. The same applied to Peacocks and Commas, a good showing of adults post-hibernation and then no larvae.

A session on the 14th in a woodland at Staplehurst, where I have regularly trapped shed loads of moths in the past, produced 23 species for very few individuals once again. The daytime temperatures were crazy and more akin to August than April but still the moths did not show. Another bash in a local wood saw me packing up at 10 o'clock with just eight species from two traps and nothing more coming in. Most of the eight species could be counted as individuals with only Lunar Marbled Brown making the magic four. A friend had asked David and I to trap his local nature reserve at Paddock Wood, a good looking wood under sympathetic management and one that ought to have produced some good moths, but the 28th produced just 18 species and, you've guessed, a handful of individuals.

Hot weather continued with no rain until the 7th of May, by which time, my allotment resembled the Sahara and my lawn would qualify for set-aside. Butterflies were about but not in the expected numbers and this came as a surprise as the weather should have ensured exceptional numbers. Nothing was particularly prolific apart from Small Whites and these were doing very well on my struggling allotment! The weather turned just in time for our field trip to Denge and we enjoyed hours of foul weather, just the job for the Duke of Burgundy I'm sure. Only two eggs were found at the site where there ought to have been dozens and I fear for the forthcoming season.

Thinking that the chalk downland may produce the goods, I ran two traps at Trosley on the 19th and had a fantastic evening with just 19 species, mostly singular. Another session at Detling on the 24th produced much the same result with just twenty-five species and very few individuals. It should be pointed out that these venues normally produce huge numbers of moths, so many that packing the gear away at the end of a session often takes ages with moths in my hair, ears and eyes and everywhere else.

Butterflies seemed to be fairing just as badly with all species way down on the head count with few exceptions. A mothing session at Benacre Wood finally gave some reasonable results on the 2nd June 27 species coming to the traps but numbers were still way down for this highly productive venue. Several more sessions at various venues throughout June faired little better and results remained abysmal and it became more and more difficult to stay focussed on the recording. Some nights, it would be an hour before anything arrived at all and micros in particular were very few and far between. I have been on sessions with David where, when it came to clearing away, I began to think we would watch the sunrise before all the little blighters were rounded up but not this year.

As we all now know, the weather turned foul for much of June and July and there were few opportunities to run a trap anywhere for weeks on end. Many butterflies had very few days to find a mate and lay eggs and the same must be said for the moths and the only saving grace was that the south-east missed most of the horrendous floods experienced further north. August provided a perfect weather window for the rather late harvest and the farmers were very busy for a few weeks but we still saw no improvement in lepidoptera by day or by night. Sure, there were good days and bad, Temple Ewell produced some good shows of Chalk-hill Blues and I gather Adonis did fairly well but the season was now all over the place. Gatekeeper came and went in no time at all but Meadow Browns hung on for ages and second brood whites enjoyed my cabbages.

Some of our public events were a complete failure with very few butterflies being recorded and even fewer moths. The obvious disappointment on the faces of our guests was sometimes embarrassing when the most exciting thing to show them was a Green Carpet or Brindled Pug. Talking of pugs, this difficult group normally drive me mad as I just cannot seem to identify them with any authority and usually end up bringing them home in pots to sort out in daylight. Not so this year, there were so few pugs, and those that did come in were mostly Bridled and Mottled and the need for closer ID seldom showed. Wainscots and Footmans were another disappointment with just singles arriving at the traps when I would expect dozens.

So, what conclusions can we draw from this worrying situation? Hibernators, by and large, did reasonably well with Comma doing particularly well. Species that over-wintered as a pupa also faired well but the most noticeable species to exhibit a downturn were those that over-wintered as larvae. This comes as no real surprise as this is the most vulnerable stage in the metamorphosis and therefore the most easily affected by adverse conditions. But what are adverse conditions?

One thing you learn when breeding butterflies, as I did as a young lad, was how important it was to maintain an even temperature and, above all, avoid damp and humid conditions. Well, 2007 certainly broke all the rules and I wonder what impact this had on the moths and butterflies? The exceptionally hot weather during the early months played havoc with emergence times with most species up to three weeks early. The mind soon forgets such events but I remind you that the roadside verges were brown and dead, along with my lawn, by the end of June and one week in particular had me retiring to the house as it was simply too hot to go out. Garden and wild flowers were all over the place with Primroses blooming three times and many trees flowering early. We can assume that species like Common Blue, Brown Argus, Adonis Blue suffered during this exceptional weather as numbers were well down on most sites with only the more sheltered sites showing any sign of normality. The vastly reduced numbers of Browns told a sorry tale and I feel that this group suffered most, with the possible exception of the Marble Whites who seemed to be on the wing for months. Their tendency to over-winter and feed in dense grasses may well have kept them away from the impact of the weather. Sure, there were some really strong colonies of Meadow Browns in some areas but the overall picture was grim.

Another interesting aspect of this season was the extraordinarily draw out emergence times of some species leading to a thinly spread distribution, Common Blue being a good example, never common but always there. The situation for Moths is more difficult to explain. I well remember, in 2006, going into a local wood to trap at dusk and hearing what I took to be rain striking the canopy. Only when I laid out my cloth did I realise that what I was hearing was in fact frass from the thousands of larvae in the trees above and the cloth was soon covered in tiny black dots. The leaves were peppered from ground level up, something I did not see this year, and I have to wonder if this answers some of the questions regarding the reduced number of adults later in the season. Of course, not all larvae complete their cycle in the summer season and we will not know the results until next year but I suspect it will not be good news. If the caterpillars were not prolific, what impact will this have on the bird population? We are all well aware of the close relationship between moth larvae and Blue Tit broods and many other species besides. Are we to see reduced bird numbers next year, I suspect so.

It's not all doom and gloom (I hope) and Nature has a remarkable ability to recover form adversity but I will make a prediction now. Next spring will see some surprises. I expect the Blues to recover fairly well as their second broods had more favourable conditions in which to breed and the vegetation has remained lush this year so desiccation should not be an issue. The Browns will probably recover well but expect another drawn out emergence. As always, the hibernators are in the lap of the Gods and it is difficult to say what will happen but Peacocks were absent from our summer gardens as they went into hibernation very early indeed. Whites will be OK, they fed up well on my cabbages and that should support most of the Kent colonies! The one that worries me is the Orange Tip. Where were those eggs and larvae? I hardly found any, even where I had seen good numbers of adults, and this is certainly cause for concern. The weather was favourable during the flight season but did the early stages fall foul of the terrible weather that followed? Viruses and mould would certainly have been prevalent at the crucial time and may explain the apparent failure to mature, only time will tell.

And finally, the moths. I just do not know. All the signs are for a steady decline in numbers, something we have witnessed over the past few years but obviously more so this year, and I have no answers. Loss of habitat can explain some losses but not in established woodlands so something else is amiss. Climate change probably explains some of the observations but we should see, if anything, an increase in numbers, not the drastic fall in numbers of this year. My money is on the failure during the early stages due to wildly fluctuating conditions. You have only to rear a few larvae to see what I mean, fail to keep your stock under the right conditions and you will lose the lot and, apply this on a global scale and, bingo, you have found the answer. With some species appearing in the wrong month, let alone week, and you soon have a breakdown in continuity that will impact the whole eco-system from the humble parasite to the hungry bird.

On that happy note, I leave you to think about your year and see how it compares to mine and I am sure you will draw similar conclusions. By the time you read this, all thoughts of 2007 will be behind you and you will struggle to remember just what did happen, unless you were one of the unfortunate souls who endured flooded houses and ruined homes. Yes, it did happen but it is all too easy to cast it to the back of our minds and move on but we must remember why. Something is amiss in the countryside.

Peter Kirby
September 2007

Ian Roberts, and others, saw a Swallowtail near Folkestone on 6th April.

During 2006, there were 12 Camberwell Beauties reported between 7 Aug and 10 Sept in 2006, with sightings all over the county.

Roy Chambers reported a Large Tortoiseshell, disturbed in his garden at Temple Ewell when a woodpile was moved on 6 October.

Online Sightings - Some of the results

This yeare number of butterfly records submitted online increase. Below I have included some of the results. Full results will be published in the 2006 butterfly report. I would like to thank everyone who has submitted sightings online this year. Without your records we would not be able to monitor the status of Kent's butterflies.

Chalkhill Blue

Members, who watch BBC breakfast news, may remember a tv interview with our head office about which butterflies had done well this year. One of them was the Chalkhill Blue .J Websper submitted a record for over 1,500 minimum, at a site in Lyden.

There was also high numbers reported at our reserve, White Hil in Shoreham. Many other members reported high numbers being seen.

Photo © B.Kirby

White Admiral

This butterfly appears to be spreading. Alan Cooper recorded high numbers in Hamstreet & others being seen in the Tonbridge area.

Alan Copper also found some in late September, with one even seen still egg laying. It looks like this could have been a second brood.

Photo © B.Kirby

Purple Emperor

New records have been coming in for this species. Some were seen in Hamstreet woods by Alan Copper.

Photo © B.Kirby

Silver-washed Fritillary

New records have been coming in for this species. This butterfly has seen an increase in Kent this year. Around 14 records were sent into us.

Photo © B.Kirby

Swallowtail Sighting

Many thanks to Phil Bolton - Wildthing Wildlife Consultant for this Swallowtail sighting & photo.

It was photographed in the garden of the Age Concern day centre, in the village of Romney Marsh, on the 26th July 2006.

Photo © Phil Bolton - Wildthing

Another Large Tortoiseshell!

Keith Heaven saw and photographed a Large Tortoiseshell on 4th May 2006.

Large Tortoiseshell

A Large Tortoiseshell!

Phil Green of WCCP saw a Large Tortoiseshell, near Sugarloaf Hill, on 3rd April 2006.

Large Tortoiseshell

Swallowtail Sighting

J Gould saw a Swallowtail near Deal on 21st August.

Silver-spotted Skipper's

J Websper, M Sykes & P Charlton recorded over 185 Silver-spotted Skippers in Alkham. Is this going to be a very good year for this species?

Silver-spotted Skipper

Have you seen a high number of Silver-spotted Skipper's this year?

Please let us know. Email us @ mail@kentbutterflies.org

Camberwell Beauty Sighting

Veron Hucks reports a Camberwell Beauty sighting on 4th August.

Camberwell Beauty

Another Large Tortoiseshell

Another Large Tortoiseshell has been reported. It was seen near Bonsia Bank, on 28th May.

Large Tortoiseshell

Reports of another Large Tortoiseshell have been reported. It was seen in the Dungeness area, during July

Another Migrant Swallowtail

Another Swallowtail was seen on 1st July.

Swallowtail

A Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) was seen on 24th June 2005 at Kingsdown, Thanet.

Have you seen any migrant butterflies this year?

Please let us know. Email us @ mail@kentbutterflies.org

White-letter Hairstreak

With the recent good weather, White-letter Hairstreaks have emerged about a week earlier than usual and now is the time to look for new colonies.

Kent supports several known colonies, mostly centred on the Royal Military Canal and surrounding countryside, but many more are sure to exist throughout the county. With the demise of mature elms during the 70’s, many colonies were either lost or reduced to such low levels that they went largely un-noticed.Many books suggest that the larvae cannot survive on suckering elm and require flowering elm during their earlier stages, but we now know this to be incorrect with strong colonies being discovered on young elm throughout the country. Kent is no exception and I discovered a small colony near Headcorn last year on roadside scrub elm. The trees were no more than ten feet tall but supported several adults. It is with this in mind that I suggest that you check out your local elms over the next few weeks to locate new colonies.

Almost any elm could hold a colony but obviously the taller the tree, the better the chances. I suggest looking during the late afternoon on a warm, sunny day when the butterflies can be seen sparring around the upper branches. Males often spend a lot of time battling for the best vantage point and are usually the first sign of a colony, much the same as Purple Hairstreak. Binoculars are essential for a positive ID as, towards the latter part of their flight season, they often share territory with the Purple Hairstreak but the White-letter appear considerably darker than their silvery cousins.

If you do manage to locate what you think is a colony, do let us know either by email or the on-line recoding system. Only by diligent recording can we establish the range of this insect and formulate appropriate management for the future.

Good luck!

Peter Kirby - pkirby@kentbutterflies.org

Possible Large Tortoiseshell Sightings

Clarlie Vint reports a possible Large Tortoiseshell sighting in Denton, Gravesend, on 21st April.

Also another member reports a possible sighting at Bonsai Bank on 3rd May. If you see one, please let us know.

For more information on the Large Tortoiseshell please click here.

Large Tortoiseshell

Duke of Burgundy

The Duke of Burgundy is now out at Denge Forest. A total of 10 were seen.

Duke of Burgundy

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Watch in 2005

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary is, now sadly, possibly extinct in Kent. In 2003 & 2004 no records were submitted to our branch recorder.

We would like recorders to keep an eye out for this species in Kent. If you do or have seen a Pearl-bordered Fritillary in Kent this year please email us at mail@kentbutterflies.org.

Please could you included a grid reference, the site name & location.

Thank you to everyone for looking.

For more information on how Butterfly Conservation & Defra are monitoring this butterfly please click here (PDF File - 134KB).

Butterflies 'follow flightpaths'

Next time you see a butterfly flutter by, it might not be as random as you think. Read more by clicking here, or click here to listen.

The audio version of this news story is around 3 minutes and requires Windows Media Player.

Grizzled & Dingy Skipper out at Trolsey Downs

Around 15 Grizzled Skippers & 3 Dingy Skippers were seen at Trolsey Downs on 22nd April.


Grizzled Skipper	Dingy Skipper

FIrst sighting for 2005 already!

Mr D Douch saw a Red Admiral on 1st January 2005! This is very early.

Red Admiral

Information on submitting records to our Branch Butterfly Recorder

Please could you send any remaining butterfly records to Mike Easterbrook in the next couple of weeks. It is important we submit the records to BC Head Office as early as possible so they are included in the national records and also added into the updated millennium atlas.

All the sightings submitted online, using our recording form, have been forwarded to Mike Easterbrook for entry.

Thank You.

Please see the "Contacts" page for more details on how to contact our Branch Butterfly Recorder.

Late Season Butterfly Sightings

Ken Elks reports that he has seen a Brimstone & two Red Admirals in his garden on 30/11/04.

Have you any late butterfly records for 2004? Please submit them to us by our online recording form or email our branch butterfly recorder, Mike Easterbrook. Please see the contacts page for details.

The Killer Ladybird - Harlequin (Harmonia axyridis)

A deadly species of ladybird with the potential to wipe out half of Britain's native species has arrived in the country. Harlequin ladybirds, Harmonia axyridis, originated in Asia. They were introduced to North America in the 1970s as an "environmentally friendly" alternative to pesticides and quickly swept across the continent, driving out domestic species and other aphid-eating bugs. This killer bug can also destroy butterfly eggs.

The adult bug is bigger and rounder than the seven-spot ladybird native to the UK. It can be up to 7mm long and is more likely to be orange rather then red but can also come in other colours including black with red spots and yellow and black. And just behind its head it has a white plate with a big black 'M' on it.

If you find any Harlequin ladybirds alive find a small box or film canister and send them to:

Dr Majerus Dept of Genetics
Downing Street
Cambridge
CB2 3EH

Don't put anything wet in the box as this will kill the bug.

You can talk about this killer ladybird on our branch forum. Click here to join in the discussion.

Possible Monarch Sighting

We have received a report of a possible Monarch being seen in Kent. This butterfly is a rare migrant to the UK. For more information on the Monarch please click here.

Purple Emperor Patio Sighting

John Rickman had a male Purple Emperor, visited his garden, near Ide Hill, Kent. It flew around and settled on his patio area several times.

It was drinking moisture from the moss that is in between the bricks on the patio.

Pale Clouded Yellow Sighting

John Websper saw a Pale Clouded Yellow in Lydden on 8th June 2004. This butterfly is a rare migrant to the UK. For more information on the Pale Clouded Yellow please click here.

Have you seen any migrant butterflies in Kent this year? If so please let us know by emailing us @ mail@kentbutterflies.org

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Watch

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary is now an endangered species in Kent. In 2003 no records were submitted to our branch recorder.

Have you seen a Pearl-bordered Fritillary in Kent this year?

If so please let us know by emailing us @ mail@kentbutterflies.org

Lost UK butterfly thriving again

A BBC News articale about the Large Blue & UK Butterflies

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3568321.stm

Painted Lady Migration 6th-7th June 2003

I was away, on holiday in southern France during June and would like to report the following migration:

I arrived late on Thursday 5th June in St Pons De Mauchiens, about 10km in from the med coast at Sete. The following morning I was aware of unusual movements of Painted Ladies flying due north into a head wind. The peak frequency was about 100 insects passing per minute, dropping down to lulls of about 50 per minute. I presume that this was visible due to the butterflies hugging the ground to avoid the head wind. It was also probable that the terrain funnelled them through a restricted area and I was able to count 100 meters worth just by keeping my position. Reports from (Disinterested) locals suggest that this swarm stretched some 10km wide and lasted a minimum of 20 hours.

I was unable to get to the coast in time to see whether the swarm was coming along the coast from Spain before turning north, or whether it was entering directly from the sea.

If what I saw was truly representative of the whole swarm, then something approaching 7,200,000 passed in that time... And I might well have missed the beginning of it...

Not surprising that we had a good year for Painted Ladies??

Dick Moger

August 2003

July 2003

Graham Tapp, a Kent Branch member, observed a Dark-Green Fritillary (Argynnis aglaja) at Queendown Warren on 14th July.

June 2003

140 Small Tortoiseshell's (Aglais urtica) were seen in Kingston on 20th June

100+ Dark-Green Fritillary's (Argynnis aglaja) were seen at Trosley Country Park on 21st June

167 Heath Fritillary's (Mellicta athalia) were seen at East Blean Woods on 23rd June

25 March - Tunbridge Wells Common, Kent TQ579391: -

Graham Tapp, a Kent Branch member, has observed an abberation of a Comma:

Observed with normal fulvous brown ground colour replaced by pale grey. Specimen was subjected to close scrutiny, and was not obviously 'faded'.

I can find no reference to this form in any reference literature, though there is at least some superficial similarity to ab. pallida of the PBF described variously (e.g. J Thomas & R Lewington 'The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland').

Question whether this resulted from genetic or environmental factors?

Further visits to this site on 26th, 27th & 28th March (armed with photographic gear) failed to repeat sighting.