| Page 1 of 2 | 1 | 2 |
|
|
Huge blue butterfly
"Sacha" wrote in message ... Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID. I think that has to be an escapee. I am not sure there is even anything that size and colour in NW Europe never mind UK but that is from ancient memories of flicking through a copy of Higgins and Riley (not relatives) and their Collins Guide. Sounds impressive. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ |
Huge blue butterfly
Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least
5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ |
Huge blue butterfly
On 16/9/06 15:17, in article , "Des
Higgins" wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message ... Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID. I think that has to be an escapee. I am not sure there is even anything that size and colour in NW Europe never mind UK but that is from ancient memories of flicking through a copy of Higgins and Riley (not relatives) and their Collins Guide. Sounds impressive. Thanks, Des. I think it must have escaped, somehow. I looked up the 'large blue' Maculinea arion, which has been reintroduced into Cornwall but that is only 4cm across, so doesn't seem to come anywhere near this. it would be rather exciting if this one lays eggs in one of the green houses, though! -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ |
Huge blue butterfly
On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 15:19:14 +0100, Sacha wrote
(in article ): Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID. Could it be the blue monarch butterfly? May not have the name exactly right, but we saw such a one some years ago on Scilly, and were told that's what it was and it was an unusual sighting. Presumably the hot summer may have tilted things a bit. -- Sally in Shropshire, UK bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church: http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk |
Huge blue butterfly
In message , Sacha
writes Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID Could they have mistaken a hawkmoth for a butterfly? They are pretty big, and I think there is a blue one ... -- Klara, Gatwick basin |
Huge blue butterfly
"Sacha" wrote in message ... Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ A Blue Underwing moth perhaps? http://www.wwb.co.uk/shop/product_in...ff8afa1f9e44d5 Otherwise it's an non-native escapee. |
Huge blue butterfly
On 16/9/06 17:14, in article , "Klara"
wrote: In message , Sacha writes Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID Could they have mistaken a hawkmoth for a butterfly? They are pretty big, and I think there is a blue one ... I'm trying to find an illustration with size attached. I'll hunt for the insect book.... -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ |
Huge blue butterfly
On 16/9/06 16:03, in article
, "Sally Thompson" wrote: On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 15:19:14 +0100, Sacha wrote (in article ): Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID. Could it be the blue monarch butterfly? May not have the name exactly right, but we saw such a one some years ago on Scilly, and were told that's what it was and it was an unusual sighting. Presumably the hot summer may have tilted things a bit. Wrong colour for the monarch, Sally but I might ask Mike Nelhams on Tresco if he has any idea. Assuming he's there, of course and not off on one of his tours! Many thanks to everyone for trying to help. I only wish I'd seen it myself but I'll keep my eyes pinned tomorrow. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ |
Huge blue butterfly
On 16/9/06 15:33, in article , "Malcolm"
wrote: In article , Sacha writes On 16/9/06 15:17, in article , "Des Higgins" wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message ... Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID. I think that has to be an escapee. I am not sure there is even anything that size and colour in NW Europe never mind UK but that is from ancient memories of flicking through a copy of Higgins and Riley (not relatives) and their Collins Guide. Sounds impressive. Thanks, Des. I think it must have escaped, somehow. I looked up the 'large blue' Maculinea arion, which has been reintroduced into Cornwall but that is only 4cm across, so doesn't seem to come anywhere near this. it would be rather exciting if this one lays eggs in one of the green houses, though! Surely that depends on what the caterpillars feed on. They could be voracious eaters of your favourite plants!! I think we could safely sacrifice one or two for something so exotic! I've often thought how lovely it would be to make safe the 'small double' which has a lot of things growing in there and release butterflies into it. I'll keep working on Ray! You've certainly got an escapee as its description doesn't fit anything European, nor North American, as far as I know, but although Buckfastleigh is an obvious source, it doesn't have to have come from that close. Monach butterflies regularly cross the Atlantic, and Red Admirals, Painted Ladies, Clouded Yellows, etc., reach us every year from southern France. Phone Buckfastleigh and ask them. Good idea or, when we get back from holiday, we'll go down there and have a look. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ |
Huge blue butterfly
Sacha wrote: I'll print that photo off and show it to the staff that saw the mystery one. Blue and really huge was repeated again today! But the photo of that says 'extinct' - which would of course make it lovely if it was that one! Maculinea arion: Extinct in the 50s, loss of habitat and intense farming was the cause. It has since been re-established successfully at five sites in south west England using Swedish stock ... Size 43mm. |
Huge blue butterfly
"Sacha" wrote .. Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID Could they have mistaken a hawkmoth for a butterfly? They are pretty big, and I think there is a blue one ... I'm trying to find an illustration with size attached. I'll hunt for the insect book.... I do hope you find what it is and where it's come from. We saw, two years running on our old allotment site, a large jet black butterfly with white dots along it's wind edges, and which flew unlike a normal butterfly but fast and straight like a bird, but never managed to track the species down other than it wasn't European. -- Regards Bob H 17mls W. of London.UK |
Huge blue butterfly
Bob Hobden wrote: I do hope you find what it is and where it's come from. We saw, two years running on our old allotment site, a large jet black butterfly with white dots along it's wind edges, and which flew unlike a normal butterfly but fast and straight like a bird, but never managed to track the species down other than it wasn't European. I'm sure you looked into it - but (I'm papillon crazy) have you looked at the Peppered moth. It's characteristics is that the black varied from jet black with white dots on the edges to grey and peppered with white, hence the name. What was the underwings colour? (I'm hoping one day to see a white plume moth - I'm keeping some bindweeds in the edges for it as it feeds and lives. At least it's a reason to give to the neighbours for keeping the bindweeds ....). |
Huge blue butterfly
On 16/9/06 18:27, in article , "Bob Hobden"
wrote: "Sacha" wrote .. Fluttering around the garden and one of the green houses yesterday, at least 5 people saw a very large sky blue butterfly. By very large, it was described as being about 5 or 6" across! Even allowing for the exaggeration of memory and reducing that to 3 or 4", it's still pretty big. Does anyone know what that might be or whether we have an escapee from the Buckfastleigh butterfly farm? And how far can butterflies roam, anyway? Any (polite) suggestions would be welcomed as to ID Could they have mistaken a hawkmoth for a butterfly? They are pretty big, and I think there is a blue one ... I'm trying to find an illustration with size attached. I'll hunt for the insect book.... I do hope you find what it is and where it's come from. We saw, two years running on our old allotment site, a large jet black butterfly with white dots along it's wind edges, and which flew unlike a normal butterfly but fast and straight like a bird, but never managed to track the species down other than it wasn't European. I think Des's suggestion of the Maculinea arion sounds hopeful but until I can show it to some of those who saw it, I can't be sure, of course. I've scoured the place this afternoon in the hope of seeing it, only to have a pair of cabbage whites dancing mockingly above my head! -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ |
Huge blue butterfly
Sacha wrote: I think Des's suggestion of the Maculinea arion Des did not suggest this. You did, then I told you it wasn't extinct anymore but reintroduced in the 90s in your part of the world on 5 sites. |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:18 PM. |
|
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter