Dorset butterfly updates
Angle Shades Caterpillar.Photo: Maurice Budden
Maurice found this caterpillar resting on a dead Pyracantha twig on 17/03/21 but was unsure what moth or butterfly it might be.
The adult will be an Angle Shades moth, which over winters as a larva and feeds during mild spells.
The flight season of the adult moth is mainly May – Oct , but is present all year round.
Robin George is stepping down from the post of Membership Secretary, so we need somebody to take on this important voluntary role, which needs computer skills, but can be done mainly from home. Continue reading
Jesey Tiger moth. Photo: Ann Westcott
Ann found this Jersey Tiger moth on 14/08/20 on her conservatory guttering in Chickerell on what she tells us was a dry muggy day.
This species is active on warm days but also comes to light.
White-letter Hairstreak butterflies are quite rare in Dorset; their caterpillars breed on elm trees, so finding the trees will help us find the butterflies. You can help us map some of the remaining healthy Elm trees in Dorset and by so doing help us locate some of our missing White-letter Hairstreaks (WLH) Continue reading
The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme organisers have announced that transect walking may resume, with certain precautions. Continue reading
You can find both documents in pdf form on our Branch Newsletter page.
We are unable to send print versions of either document out at present, as HQ have had to close the Lulworth office Continue reading
Because of concerns around the coronavirus, the Butterfly Conservation/Dorset Wildlife Trust meeting scheduled for 10 March has definitely been cancelled. We are currently taking a decision about our ‘Butterfly Trends in North Dorset’ meeting on 20 March, so please check this website before travelling to it. Continue reading
We have had two reports recently of Glanville Fritillaries in North Dorset! Continue reading
This very tired-looking Duke of Burgundy turned up in a very surprising place: Continue reading
We asked you recently to paint Dorset yellow by reporting Brimstones – now we want you to look out for Orange Tips as well! The map shows Continue reading