This photograph of a Small Tortoiseshell was taken from our terrace while we were having a drink in beautifully warm sunshine a couple of weeks ago. We had just spent the day walking across an area of the north coast, and had commented on several occasions on the number of butterflies we had noticed. Only the other day we became quite excited when we saw an Orange Tip, a butterfly we hadn't seen for some years.
But a search on Google for information about the Tortoiseshell led to an alarming discovery. While it used to be one of the country's most common butterflies, the Small Tortoiseshell is one of many species which has gone into sharp decline. The Butterfly Conservation website -
here - describes a 22% drop in recorded sightings of butterflies between 2010 and 2011, and a 41% drop since 2009, with the Tortoiseshell one of those affected.
Out on the terrace once again on Friday we were joined by a pair of Tortoiseshells who had obviously heard the news that the species is in decline and were determined to do something about it. Sitting watching them, we noticed a couple of differences between the two individuals, the lower of the two having white stripes on his wings, rather than pale yellow, and the rear edge of his wings deeply indented.
In our busy modern lives, the loss of our butterflies is something we may not immediately notice - but can we imagine a world in which these beautiful creatures no longer fluttered across our gardens and hills?
Colour variations can, apparently, be caused by temperature variations in the late chrysalis stage. Other differences, mainly in the "pattern" can be due to other natural causes. The tattered wings, and "scuffed" looking markings may be an indication that this one has overwintered, and now looks a bit shabby.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for this interesting comment. The butterfly with the indents in his wings didn't look too 'worn', and the indents seemed symmetrical on each side. It's almost as if he has a genetic 'defect'.
ReplyDeletejon