Butterfly Islands: Caeruleopunctata

Showing posts with label Caeruleopunctata. Show all posts

Monday, 22 May 2017

A Splash of Colour.

With settled and warm weather a definite prospect for the next few days the season is well under way.Today the pyracantha bush in the garden looked magnificent as a deluge of flowers began to open.This attracted my first Painted Lady of the year,a very pristine individual.Despite my attention it returned several times to take advantage of the blooms and that glimpse of orange and red on the underside plus the gold and blue of the underside rings was an enjoyable treat.

Yesterday while on the cliffs and landslip of our southwest coast I came across a Small Copper sporting several blue iridescent pear shaped spots on the hind wings.This is the aberration caeruleopunctata,not an uncommon form but it can vary from having one or two faint spots through to five clearly defined pear-shaped marking on each hind wing.

Friday, 30 September 2016

Bright & Beautiful.

With autumn here any nectar rich flowering plants in the garden are now attracting butterflies. Along with the reliable Red Admiral. I am still seeing the odd Speckled Wood,an occasional Painted Lady stopping off to feed on the buddleia,Large and Small Whites,and today this very colourful Small Copper.A very recent emergence by the look of it with bright markings. Individuals from later broods such as this tend to be often larger and brighter.This one also has a slight row blue dots on the hindwings of the form caeruleopunctata.

Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Fewer Late Summer Butterflies

Despite the continued sunny weather the feel of autumn is now about and the count of butterflies has fallen.A walk along the hedgerows at Newtown today and a visit to the adjacent Walters Copse was rather disappointing with just Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood in enough numbers to count along with eight Commas on a large expanse of bramble bush feeding on blackberries.However I did see two Small Copper,one of which was the form caeruleopunctata.Quite a common form but nevertheless attractive to see with its silvery-blue spots.

In the Copse just two Comma,a Common Blue,and a Red Admiral, all on fleabane.

Friday, 21 October 2011

Small Copper

This butterfly can be found near or on the ground in a variety of habitats.If weather conditions are right,namely hot and sunny,three or more broods may occur,lasting from April to November.The form 'caeruleopunctata' is known and common,with a row of blue spots on the hind wings.

The Adonis Blue

The Large Tortoiseshell

It seems the general view on the status of the Large Tortoiseshell in Britain is that it is now extinct as a breeding butterfly.
It is a butterfly of woodland edges and hedgerows that abound in willows,elms,and poplars.These trees are used by the adult to lay its eggs and this single brood appears in July and August.The emerging butterfly then hibernates over the winter in log piles and hollow trees until the next spring.
On the Isle of Wight sightings are more often than not made from early March to April.Have these butterflies overwintered on the Island or have they come from the continent where it is common?
Any sightings made in July/August pose the same question.Another explanation could be that captive-bred releases are responsible.Only the discovery of eggs and caterpillars will probably answer these questions.

I can now report that evidence has been found of breeding just along the coast at Portland in Dorset (June 2020) and again at the same location in the summer of 2021.

The Glanville Fritillary

This elegant butterfly is mainly confined to the crumbling undercliffs and chalk downs of the Isle of Wight.It is also found on the Channel Islands and at one or two isolated colonies on the British mainland.In Britain the Glanville Fritillary is at the extreme north-western edge of its range.On the continent it is readily found in flowery habitats.
Around the southern shores of the Isle of Wight the cliffs constantly erode causing them to slip away and provide perfect conditions for new growths of the butterflies laval host plant,Ribwort Plantain.
The eggs are laid to the underside of the leaves of this plant and normally hatch after about three weeks.The resulting caterpillars live together in communal webs spun over the plantain.In the autumn they hibernate and recommence feeding in the spring,eventually dispersing to prepare for pupation.
The adult butterfly is on the wing from May to the end of June with the female being larger than the male.They will feed on,amongst other things, Birds-foot Trefoil and Thrift.

The Wall Brown

On the Isle of Wight in particular,the Wall Brown is a butterfly of field edges,coastal cliffs and dunes,and rabbit-grazed downland.
The male is territorial and spends much of the time patrolling and basking on the ground.
The female,which lacks the males conspicuous dark sex brand across the forewings,is larger.The undersides of both sexes are beautifully cryptic when at rest.
The Wall Brown generally produces two broods a year,the first from late April until late June and the second from mid-July to mid-September.