Butterfly Islands

Tuesday 15 March 2016

First Butterflies of the Season.

Although I have already seen a Red Admiral this year on the 25th February,today was the first time that the butteflies were around in numbers. This morning the sun shone in a cloudless sky and in Walters Copse any trace of the nagging easterly breeze that we have had recently was gone.It was very pleasant along a rides with primroses now in flower.In flower too were the sallows which attracted numerous hoverflies.Visiting the primroses was the odd queen bumblebee and also I noticed a Dark-edged Bee-fly.

A female Brimstone was my first sighting of the day. I disturbed her enjoying a sunny moment.She took off and disappeared into the trees.It was not long before I came across a Comma and during the course of my wander in the copse I encountered at least three more.Finally,I finished by again disturbing a butterfly which had found a sunny spot,this time a Peacock.

Thursday 25 February 2016

Out Enjoying the Sun.

After a frosty start to the day the sun shone in a near cloudless sky this morning.Once the Glanville caterpillars had warmed up they became active and proceeded to bask in the sun near to their web.These webs can have up to 150 individuals and are always close to their foodplant.Should a web with a large numbers of caterpillars exhaust its food supply ,they will move on in search of further Ribwort Plantain.

Wednesday 24 February 2016

Defyng the Inclement Weather.

The caterpillars of our own Isle of Wight Glanville Fritillary have a lot to put up with.Their habitat is our coastal cliffs which bare the brunt of winter and spring storms that batter the south west shore of the Island.Still this butterfly is use to all that the weather can throw at it and continues to survive in its unique habitat.

Not surprisingly then, that this morning I came across several glanville webs in which the caterpillars remain until April when they disperse to find a suitable place to pupate.The weather today was particularly cold and wet so they congregate in the web for protection from the elements.On sunny days at this time of year they will become active around the web and feed on their food plant,Ribwort Plantain.

Further information on this special butterfly can be found here.

Glanville caterpillars huddle up against the wet and cold weather.

Saturday 20 February 2016

The Mallow Skipper.

In contrast to Orientalis the Mallow Skipper is widespread in Southern and Central Europe This species is particularly common in the south of its range and the Greek Islands are no exception.It is the first skipper to appear normally in March and can still be encountered in October.

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.