My First Sighting of 2012

With Spring it seems just around the corner,I have been wondering,  What species will be my first butterfly sighting of 2012? Reports are now coming in from all over the country of  butterflies on the move and with this last weekends warm and sunny spell,at least on the Isle of Wight,I was very hopeful.

I was therefore happy to see a Comma on my summer house on Sunday 26th February enjoying the sunshine.

Plain Tiger

The Plain Tiger butterfly is a  powerful and wide-ranging African migrant.Although found along the  European coast of Mediterranean Sea it is mainly seen as a migrant.However breeding populations have become established in some localities,including Greece.The following photographs were taken not in Greece, but on the Red Sea coast at Dahab,Egypt towards the end of December.

Its LHP includes Milkweed and the butterfly can readily be found in coastal gullies close to cultivated areas and gardens.

Only two members of this Danaidae family of butterflies are found in Europe,the other being the Monarch.

Tree Grayling

This rather sombre butterfly is found in most of Southern Europe.It is widespread and common in the Mediterranean region with a flight period from late June to October in one brood.This one was seen on the island of Alonisoss,Greece.

Common Blue

The Common Blue butterfly is found throughout Britain and Ireland and therefore is our most widely distributed of the blues. On the Isle of Wight it can be seen from April onwards and generally has two broods.The male has violet-blue wings,edged with black and clear white margins.This feature helps seperate it from other blue species.Females can be very variable,ranging from the usual brown form with a hint of blue, to beautiful blue varieties with orange markings.The undersides of both sexes are similar.

Pearl Bordered Fritillary

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary and the Small Pearl-bBordered Fritillary are both on the verge of extinction on the Isle of Wight.There is only one known location for the Pearl-bordered on the Island which is Parkhurst Forest on the outskirts on Newport.It is a butterfly of woodland clearings and seems to have declined all over Britain too.This fritillary is the first to appear in mid-April,and is normally single brooded.It can be seen feeding on the flowers of spring plants such as Bugle,Primrose,and Buttercups.

Dingy Skipper

The Dingy Skipper is found on the Isle of Wight in a variety of habitats.However the larger colonies are found on our south facing downland.It is on the wing from mid April to late June and is often seen in the company of the Grizzled Skipper.

Wood White

The Wood White butterfly is resident in Britain but not on the Isle of Wight.These photos are from Lefkada in Greece.A dainty butterfly with a flappy flight,it is widespread in Europe and can be seen in S.Euorpe from April to September.Found in a very wide range of habitats.

Brimstone

The Brimstone can be seen in March or earlier when it appears after winter hibernation.It will feed on a variety of flowers from primroses and daffodils in the spring to thistles and other purple flowers in the autumn.The male is a sulphur yellow whereas the female is a pale greenish white.

Large Skipper

The Large Skipper  is one of our most common skippers,normally appearing in late May and gone by late August.It can be found in a variety of habitats on the Isle of Wight, from our downland to woodland rides and along rough verges. 

Ilex Hairstreak

This hairstreak has an extensive range from Spain through central  and southern Europe to Greece and Turkey.it is generally common and has a flight period from late May to August.

Green Hairstreak

This is the smallest hairstreak and the most common of this species.It is found in a variety of habitats on the Isle of Wight and indeed all over Britain and Ireland from chalk downland to moorland and scrubby hillsides.This butterfly overwinters as a chrysalis and is therefore one of the first to appear in the spring,usually in April.

The brown upperside is rarely seen as it always settles with its wings firmly closed. The second photograph  however shows some of the upperside  as this butterfly has lost part of its hindwing.

Purple Hairstreak.

The Purple Hairstreak is the only British butterfly that is solely reliant on the oak tree to complete its life cycle.It feeds mainly on honeydew produced by aphids normally high up in an oak or ash tree.Visits to flowers are not common.It is a handsome insect with flashes of purple on the uppersurface of the wings and an underside of silvery grey.

The Two-tailed Pasha

The Two-tailed Pasha is one of the largest butterflies resident in Europe. Found in Greece and all along the coast of the Mediterranean to Portugal,it is a spectacular butterfly with brown and orange marked upperside and a colourful underside.These photographs were taken on the island of Alonissos in the western Aegean,where this Pasha was defending the ripe fruits of a fig tree from rival male Pashas.The laval host plant of the Pasha is the Strawberry Tree which is found in the north of this island.