We have blue skies and light breezes, the calm before tonight's storm, due to start in the next couple of hours or so, and in this brief sunny interlude two butterflies are in our garden, a red admiral enjoying the verbena and....
Sunday, October 20, 2024
The Calm
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It is the same Painted Lady in each of your pictures since October 2nd. Studying the wings, there are two distinguishing marks: the large white spot in the form of a rounded square has a slight 'nose' to it on the right hand forewing. On the left forewing, very faint, is a diagonal scratch running from the large long white spot downwards to the mid wing margin. With care, these can be seen on each photograph.
ReplyDeleteI was 95% sure that it was the same butterfly which has been around for at least 18 days - for a start, we see very few painted ladies here in any year - so your finding distinguishing marks make that 100%! What I don't know - and perhaps you can clarify this - is what happens to this butterfly now. Does 'she' overwinter and breed here next spring, or does she simply die?
DeleteIt is my understanding that the Painted Lady cannot survive the UK winter in any form. They are strong fliers from Africa and migrate each year as their population numbers increase and have been known to reach Iceland. Although of the same genus as the Red Admiral (Vanessa), only the Red Admiral has adjusted to our cooler climate by hibernating as an adult.
ReplyDeleteHow sad! So this beautiful butterfly, which looked in peak condition, will die at some point as winter takes grip.
DeleteThe internet suggests catching the butterfly, placing it in a cardboard box and leaving it in a cold location that is frost-proof and not liable to periodic heating. In the spring, when the temperature is warm enough to bring other butterflies out of hibernation, let it loose where there are nectar rich flowers and hope it can find night time roosts. It cannot reproduce now, so no damage will be done to butterfly conservation. It will probably die in the experiment as it is not equipped for hibernation. Alternatively, leave it be and enjoy seeing it in your garden :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions, Derryck. I might try to help it over-winter but first I'd need to find it. At present we are back in a cooler spell and there are no butterflies to be seen!
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