June 1999
The Suffolk Argus
Dingy Skipper: 0 25.4.90 - W. E. Lemmon
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John O'Groats Ride, North Stow -no G. Ref. 13.6.96 - John Dolman Chalk Lane - TL 825753
Orange Tip: Q 23.3.90 - Mike Crewe Sutton - no G.Ref. • 20.7.95 - Mrs Sindall Wissett - TM 367793 Green Hairstreak:
Swallowtail: 0 28.5.97 - MeroynBell Walberswick - TM 488745 • 28.8.91 - No recorder Minsmere - no G. Ref.
Q 12.4.95 - RobMacklin
Clouded Yellow: 0 27.4.97 - ColinHawes
Q 26.6.98 - Neil Sherman
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Raydon Great Wood- TM 051401 21.11.32 - Mr Richardson Flatford - no G. Ref.
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Brimstone: Somersham - TM 087485 15.11.95 - Jeff Martin Lineage Wood - TL 8848 Large White: 0 18.3.95 - TerryHammond Leiston - TM 444628 • 1.11.59 - D. C. Gamtt Aldringham - no G. Ref.
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Small White: 9.3.97-A. Garstang Sidegate Lane, Ipswich TM 183463 • 27.10.94- No recorder Languard- no G. Ref.
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0
Green-veined White: 16.3.90 - No recorder Minsmere - no G. Ref. • 29.10.95 - Nick Mason Bawdsey Cliffs - TM 338379
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12
North Warren - no G. Ref 20.7.96 - R. Havard Blackheath, Wenhaston - TM 425746
Purple Hairstreak:
Q 9.1.98-H.Parcell •
Large and Later Still
Ipswich Golf Course - TM 2043 5.9.96- Nick Gibbons Center Pare, Elvedon - TL 800800 5.9.96 - John Walshe Minsmere - TM 4666, 4766 (2 sightings)
White-letter Hairstreak: 0 8.7.96-Adrian Richards Haughley - TM 022617 • 22.8.97 - CharlottkAnderson Minsmere -TM 454669 Small Copper: 29.3.98 -Ann & Tony Burchnall Santon Downham - TL 8088 • 16.11.94-RichardStewart Tangham - TM 354474 Silver-studded Blue: 23.6.94 -Michael &Jenny Kelsey Dunwich Heath - TM 477677 • 17.8.78-ClijfWalkr Wesdeton Heath Brown Argus: 4.5.97 - Steve Godaard Suffolk Water Park- TM! 148/1248 (several) • 3.10.97 - Jean & Ken Garrod Suffolk Water Park - TM 1149
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by Wilfrid George After my reporting ('Large and Late') in our July 1998 newsletter, the activities of Large White larvae into December 1997, my favorite pest has struck again. Beating easily my previous 'record'of three larvae on 9th December 1997, I found ten of them on 16th December 1998 - this time at work on my purple sprouting broccoli. It was 9°C, and at least two of them were nibbling away. This time I decided to be merciful - the broccoli will sprout in April anyway - let's see how long the caterpillars can last. On the 22nd they were still munching away at only 1.5°C. Then they had their hot Christmas dinner (warmed up to 11°C) at noon on 25th. All the nines - nineteen ninety nine - saw more munching at 9.00 a.m. at 9°C. There must have been over nine larvae, because on 9th January at least ten larvae were feeding at 5°C. Numbers did seem to reduce, though on 20th January I could still locate six of them . I will not bore the reader with the almost daily data which continued half way through February until the last caterpillar (which was definitely moving) was seen on 17th, at 7°C at 9.00 a.m. Since then V nothing. It seemed to me that these larvae were about
full-grown throughout, but that in such low temperatures they could only digest enough food to maintain themselves, but not to develop further. Two of them did appear to try to pupate, but they finished dangling upside down (like tortoiseshells, rather than whites) humped and bloated, but they never formed pupae. It seemed surprising that, in the middle of Winter, no bird seemed to fancy these very obvious tit-bits. Their black and yellow warning colouration must have been very effective.
'Larvaeoccurfrom earlyMay to early December,veryoccasionally intoJanuary, with two, sometimesthree,generationsa year'. From volume 7, part 1, of The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. -
Ed.
LargeWhite by DouglasHammersley
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