Colin Lamont found this butterfly in his garden at Verwood, where it continued to appear from 20/08/17 to 31/08/2017. Colin did not at first realise how unusual a sighting it was.
Our Records Officer, Bill Shreeves, thinks it may be the first record for Dorset.
This beautiful tiny butterfly is likely to have been introduced to the UK accidentally on imported geraniums, (the plant its caterpillars eat) most likely while it was an egg. It is a South African species, but was introduced in 1989 to Mallorca through importation of Pelargonium cultivars. It can also be found in Spain, Southern France and other Balearic Islands.
Grateful thanks to Colin for responding to our plea for him to submit these photos when seen on Twitter.