Butterfly Bonanza

[Monika]

We have had a great butterfly bonanza the last fortnight and particularly over this weekend. Bearing in mind that we are not a particularly favoured area for butterflies, it's been great to see dozens of peacock, small tortoiseshell, red admiral and just a few comma, painted lady, speckled wood, a dark green fritillary and even a brimstone (on runner bean flowers!), a species which I had never seen in this area in my more than 50 years of living here! The buddleias are the obvious attractant but also knapweed, field scabious, rudbeckia and the sedums which are just starting to flower.

One of daughters, currently in Oxfordshire, tells me about a clouded yellow in the garden!

Unfortunately, the grassland butterflies, after the disastrous breeding conditions last year, have not done well again here, but perhaps numbers will increase again.

I would love to hear of all your sightings!

[Motherwoman]

I've had peacocks and tortoiseshells in the garden and lots of little creamy ones with black spots and brown ones with white spots... I'll have to get my book out!

MW

[Diane]

This year we've been inundated with cabbage whites and mint moths. Never seen so many before. I've been squashing the eggs on my kale but I think the cabbage whites are winning

[PLUMPUDDING]

The past few weeks have been brilliant here too for butterflies including most of the ones mentioned. I've also noticed a huge number of mint moths this year. The only ones I've not noticed this year are the common blue and holly blue. there was only one five spotted burnett moth poor thing where we usually have dozens. There are lots of day flying moths too, might be the Silver Y or Hebrew Character (got a light coloured squiggle on their wings) have to get the book out.

[Elaine]

In my garden, I've had Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Large and Small White, by the dozen. A couple of Green Veined White, a few Red Admiral, only two Painted lady and no blues at all.

At the allotment, I've seen all of the above plus Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, one of the small Skippers...not sure which one, Brimstone, Common Blue and a very dark one which looked like a Ringlet but flitted off before I could have a really good look.

I've been squishing caterpillars this week and they are mostly Small White so far.

[glallotments]

We have had hundreds of peacock butterflies on buddleias on the plot - some were much smaller than I would expect peacocks to be.

We have had a couple of commas, a skipper and several gatekeepers, an occasional painted lady and lots and lots of large and small whites. After seeing a few small tortoiseshells earlier in the year they have been noticeably absent.

[Diane]

Beautiful photos...thank you.

[John]

Lots of butterflies here - big wasp bonanza as well!

John

[Geoff]

We've had the numbers but not the variety. Lots of whites of various types, peacocks, tortoiseshells, meadow browns and a few red admirals. One painted lady very early on but no speckled wood or comma that we usually get. Must look up this mint moth that's been mentioned, the mint is full of holes, is that the clue?

[FelixLeiter]

Bountiful Buddleias brimming with British butterflies. Makes me wonder what adult butterflies subsisted on here before Buddleia was introduced, given what an irresistible draw it is.

[glallotments]

Bountiful Buddleias brimming with British butterflies. Makes me wonder what adult butterflies subsisted on here before Buddleia was introduced, given what an irresistible draw it is.

There were maybe more native plants growing then

[Monika]

Thanks for all your sightings, it really has been a great summer for the colourful garden butterflies. If weather permits, we may even get another generation in late September/early October when the sedums and michaelmas daisies are at their best.

I have also wondered about the butterflies "pre-buddleia" but, as you say, GL, there will have been many more wild flowers like knapweed, field, small and devil's bit scabious, purple loosestrife etc about . I suppose it's like the question of where house martins and swallows nested before buildings were common!