Although it has been very warm this year there has been a real shortage
of interesting butterflies in North Yorkshire with many cabbage whites
and hardly any tortoise shells, red admirals or peacocks.

In a normal year we would expect the ratio to be tortoise shells as the
most common followed by cabbage whites and a good number of everything
else. I haven't seen any rarer butterflies or moths this year

A hummingbird hawkmoth has been seen recently here though not by me.
I grow Pink Valerian (Centranthus ruber) to attract them. It is a bit of
a thug but it brings in plenty of butterflies as do the budleias.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 08/08/2018 10:42, Martin Brown wrote:
Although it has been very warm this year there has been a real shortage
of interesting butterflies in North Yorkshire with many cabbage whites
and hardly any tortoise shells, red admirals or peacocks.

In a normal year we would expect the ratio to be tortoise shells as the
most common followed by cabbage whites and a good number of everything
else. I haven't seen any rarer butterflies or moths this year

A hummingbird hawkmoth has been seen recently here though not by me.
I grow Pink Valerian (Centranthus ruber) to attract them. It is a bit of
a thug but it brings in plenty of butterflies as do the budleias.

exactly the same here in low lying North Staffordshire. I also find it a
puzzle.

On 08/08/2018 11:03, Broadback wrote:
On 08/08/2018 10:42, Martin Brown wrote:
Although it has been very warm this year there has been a real
shortage of interesting butterflies in North Yorkshire with many
cabbage whites and hardly any tortoise shells, red admirals or peacocks.

In a normal year we would expect the ratio to be tortoise shells as
the most common followed by cabbage whites and a good number of
everything else. I haven't seen any rarer butterflies or moths this
year

A hummingbird hawkmoth has been seen recently here though not by me.
I grow Pink Valerian (Centranthus ruber) to attract them. It is a bit
of a thug but it brings in plenty of butterflies as do the budleias.

exactly the same here in low lying North Staffordshire. I also find it a
puzzle.

Same here last year was poor but this year is worse even cabbage whites
are thin on the ground, no Tortoise shells no Peacocks and no Red
Admiral, seen 2 Comma but nothing else in the garden although plenty of
Meadow browns on the dog walks

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
news
On 08/08/2018 11:03, Broadback wrote:
On 08/08/2018 10:42, Martin Brown wrote:
Although it has been very warm this year there has been a real shortage of interesting
butterflies in North Yorkshire with many cabbage whites and hardly any tortoise
shells, red admirals or peacocks.

In a normal year we would expect the ratio to be tortoise shells as the most common
followed by cabbage whites and a good number of everything else. I haven't seen any
rarer butterflies or moths this year

A hummingbird hawkmoth has been seen recently here though not by me.
I grow Pink Valerian (Centranthus ruber) to attract them. It is a bit of a thug but it
brings in plenty of butterflies as do the budleias.

exactly the same here in low lying North Staffordshire. I also find it a puzzle.

Same here last year was poor but this year is worse even cabbage whites are thin on the
ground, no Tortoise shells no Peacocks and no Red Admiral, seen 2 Comma but nothing else
in the garden although plenty of Meadow browns on the dog walks

Quite different here in the North of Scotland, a good number of orange tips
(have become established here in the last few years) in May, now large
numbers of peacocks, small tortoiseshell, red admirals and painted ladies.
Copious large and small whites attacking the greenstuff and plenty of
meadow browns and ringlets - so in all an excellent season.

Phil
40 miles N. of Inverness



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On 08-Aug-18 10:42 AM, Martin Brown wrote:
Although it has been very warm this year there has been a real shortage
of interesting butterflies in North Yorkshire with many cabbage whites
and hardly any tortoise shells, red admirals or peacocks.

Likewise in North Wales.

I presume

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54584418@N02/29010804917

(and the next pic in the photostream)

is the product of the ubiquitous white butterfly, though it looked less
green and more hairy than the illustration in the only book I had available.

I'm surprised there was only one as I thought caterpillars usually came
in swarms. (Though I suspect that is not the correct collective noun!)

I have questions relating to the Blueberry it is eating, which I will
ask in a new thread.

--
Jenny M Benson
Wrexham, UK

On 08/08/2018 10:42, Martin Brown wrote:
Although it has been very warm this year there has been a real shortage
of interesting butterflies in North Yorkshire with many cabbage whites
and hardly any tortoise shells, red admirals or peacocks.

In a normal year we would expect the ratio to be tortoise shells as the
most common followed by cabbage whites and a good number of everything
else. I haven't seen any rarer butterflies or moths this year

A hummingbird hawkmoth has been seen recently here though not by me.
I grow Pink Valerian (Centranthus ruber) to attract them. It is a bit of
a thug but it brings in plenty of butterflies as do the budleias.

Same here in Leicestershire, Martin. I saw Brimstones and Orange tips
early in the year, but only 2 tortoiseshells, no peacocks or red
admirals now. I have two buddleias and deliberately grow nettles for
caterpillars. It's a bit worrying.