Was going to get rid of some nettles earlier this week only to find one
clump swarming with caterpillars (Probably painted lady) several hundred and
all about 1/2 inch.
Late, but they may well miss the birds that so often have them with me
earlier in the year.
a few years ago I was going to spray nettles in the spring, only to find
they were all swarming with caterpillars, so I left them.
Within a week not 1 caterpillar left, watched Blue tits gathering them to
feed their chicks, so some wary nice blue tits but few butterflies.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Late Butterflies - a glut today in the late summer sunshine.
I arrived home from work at about 4.15pm, to find the marjoram flowers
awash with Gatekeepers, the lavender covered in bees and a mating pair
of Common Blues. On the buddleia there were several Painted Ladies,
Small Tortoiseshells, Red Admiral and a butterfly I have not seen for
many years....a Marbled White. I was really, really chuffed. We also
get Jersey Tiger moths (day flyers) which are so eye catching with
their tomatoey red underwings. These balmy end of summer days seeme to
be the very best for moths and butterflies. If the weather continues
like it is, we will be blessed with seeing many more.

"David Hill" pushed briefly to
the front of the queue on Sat, 2 Aug 2003 14:55:36 +0100, and nailed
this to the shed door:

^ Was going to get rid of some nettles earlier this week only to find one
^ clump swarming with caterpillars (Probably painted lady) several hundred and
^ all about 1/2 inch.

Probably not - probably Small Tortoiseshell. Painted Lady prefers
thistle AFAIK. Peacocks are the other theoretical possibility, though
I personally have yet even to find even them :-( Whatever, I always
like to see a good commune of caterpillars converting nettles into
manure. We've got a real bumper crop round here at the moment, can't
remember ever seeing so many - it's going to be butterfly heaven in a
few weeks time. It's pretty close to it now.

Andy
--

"No, you claim the magpie is to blame for all the
worlds ills, based on your ignorance of magpies."
(4a7391c12e538ef306d33d71c9482221@TeraNews)

On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 22:53:42 GMT, Andy Spragg
wrote:

"David Hill" pushed briefly to
the front of the queue on Sat, 2 Aug 2003 14:55:36 +0100, and nailed
this to the shed door:

^ Was going to get rid of some nettles earlier this week only to find one
^ clump swarming with caterpillars (Probably painted lady) several
hundred and
^ all about 1/2 inch.

Probably not - probably Small Tortoiseshell. Painted Lady prefers
thistle AFAIK. Peacocks are the other theoretical possibility, though
I personally have yet even to find even them :-( Whatever, I always
like to see a good commune of caterpillars converting nettles into
manure. We've got a real bumper crop round here at the moment, can't
remember ever seeing so many - it's going to be butterfly heaven in a
few weeks time. It's pretty close to it now.

What do they look like? Green and yellow stripes down their length? =
Totoiseshell http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/larva.asp?item=5556

Black and spikey with tiny white spots ? = Peacock
http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/larva.asp?item=5559


Both like stingers, and I've often found them in "nests" or large groups.

Tim.

On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 22:53:42 GMT, Andy Spragg
wrote:

"David Hill" pushed briefly to
the front of the queue on Sat, 2 Aug 2003 14:55:36 +0100, and nailed
this to the shed door:

^ Was going to get rid of some nettles earlier this week only to find one
^ clump swarming with caterpillars (Probably painted lady) several
hundred and
^ all about 1/2 inch.

Probably not - probably Small Tortoiseshell. Painted Lady prefers
thistle AFAIK. Peacocks are the other theoretical possibility, though
I personally have yet even to find even them :-( Whatever, I always
like to see a good commune of caterpillars converting nettles into
manure. We've got a real bumper crop round here at the moment, can't
remember ever seeing so many - it's going to be butterfly heaven in a
few weeks time. It's pretty close to it now.

What do they look like? Green and yellow stripes down their length? =
Totoiseshell http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/larva.asp?item=5556

Black and spikey with tiny white spots ? = Peacock
http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/larva.asp?item=5559


Both like stingers, and I've often found them in "nests" or large groups.

Tim.

"David Hill" wrote in message ...
Was going to get rid of some nettles earlier this week only to find one
clump swarming with caterpillars (Probably painted lady) several hundred and
all about 1/2 inch.
Late, but they may well miss the birds that so often have them with me
earlier in the year.
a few years ago I was going to spray nettles in the spring, only to find
they were all swarming with caterpillars, so I left them.
Within a week not 1 caterpillar left, watched Blue tits gathering them to
feed their chicks, so some wary nice blue tits but few butterflies.


These are probably Small Tortoiseshell. Painted Ladies do use nettle
but prefer
thistle and lay their eggs singly and thus do not produce swarms of
caterpillars. I live close to you David only a few miles away. In fact
I was brought up literally down the road from where your nursery is
now. Painted Ladies are having a good season.

--
Neil Jones- http://www.butterflyguy.com/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn
Bog National Nature Reserve

".... I live close to you David only a few miles away. In fact I was
brought up literally down the road from where your nursery is now. ...."

You'll tell me next you remember when we were at Caer Hendy.

Its small brown butterflies that are everywhere here
--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

In article , David Hill
writes
Was going to get rid of some nettles earlier this week only to find one
clump swarming with caterpillars (Probably painted lady) several hundred and
all about 1/2 inch.
Late, but they may well miss the birds that so often have them with me
earlier in the year.
a few years ago I was going to spray nettles in the spring, only to find
they were all swarming with caterpillars, so I left them.
Within a week not 1 caterpillar left, watched Blue tits gathering them to
feed their chicks, so some wary nice blue tits but few butterflies.

If they're on nettles they are probably Small Tortoiseshells, or
possibly Peacocks, and this isn't really late, this is the second
breeding of the summer. They normally have two life cycles a summer, the
over-wintering adults producing eggs in April-May, which hatch into
caterpillars in May-June and, after pupating, produce adults by late
June and in July, and then these in turn lay eggs to produce
caterpillars right now in July-August. There's plenty of time for these
to pupate and then hatch into butterflies in time for them to
over-winter and round we go again.

--
Malcolm

"David Hill" wrote in message ...
".... I live close to you David only a few miles away. In fact I was
brought up literally down the road from where your nursery is now. ...."

You'll tell me next you remember when we were at Caer Hendy.

Its small brown butterflies that are everywhere here

I'd be interested to know what these are. 3 are a likely possibility.

Ringlet.
Dark chocolate brown with noticable yellow rings on the underside.
This often flies in dull weather. Iar Fach y Glaw (Rain butterfly) in
Welsh.

Meadow Brown lighter in colour more greyish underside no really
noticable spots.
The females have some orange on them.
(They are there but are absolutely tiny. A professor spent years
studying those spots.)

Hedge Brown also called a Gatekeeper. More noticeably orange on the
upperside.
Smaller than the other 2. I'd be very interested to know if this is
with you.
It's distribution on the other side of the hill has been very
interesting.

If they are very small they might be Small Heath which is rather light
brown. Thumnail size.

You are within half a mile of what was once one of the finest
butterfly sites in the whole of Wales. 28 of the 40ish Welsh species
bred there.
The whole of the old county of Glamorgan has about 34 species.

--
Neil Jones- http://www.butterflyguy.com/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn
Bog National Nature Reserve

In article , Malcolm
writes



There's plenty of time for these
to pupate and then hatch into butterflies in time for them to
over-winter and round we go again.

Is there any way to produce a 'suitable' place for them to overwinter?
And do they just 'sit there' wings folded and ziz for the winter? And,
why don't the spiders take them for 'big eats' over the winter?
(Thinking of those I see trying to get out of the garage and flapping
away at the glass)

Mike

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accept that some days you are the pigeon and some days you are the statue.

In article , Mike
writes
In article , Malcolm
writes

There's plenty of time for these
to pupate and then hatch into butterflies in time for them to
over-winter and round we go again.

Is there any way to produce a 'suitable' place for them to overwinter?
And do they just 'sit there' wings folded and ziz for the winter? And,
why don't the spiders take them for 'big eats' over the winter?
(Thinking of those I see trying to get out of the garage and flapping
away at the glass)

Small tortoiseshells want to hibernate in the dark and cool, but
preferably not too damp. And yes, they just sit there, with their
metabolism slowed right down and 'ziz'. They often choose buildings, but
it is much better if you can provide them with a garden shed or garage
to do this, with open access during the autumn they want to go in and in
spring when they want to emerge, and actively discourage them from
coming into the house, where all too often the heating wakes them far
too early in the spring. If I find them in the house, I transfer them to
the garage whenever possible. I also check the garage windows in spring
in case some have failed to find the always open door. I'm sure spiders
get some, but more usually the ones flapping around than the ones
hibernating.

--
Malcolm