First of all a big thank you to the 350 or so volunteers who carry out butterfly transects in the County – it has been another difficult year after the covid epidemic, but this time mainly due to the changing weather – who would have thought that we would have reached 39c here in Derby on the 19th of July 2022 with a minimum night temperature of 19c! I have summarised the weather conditions here in Derby for the transect period of the 1st of April to the 30th of September (see the attached excel sheet) and as expected 2018 was sunnier than 2022, slightly wetter by 4 days, it was virtually twice as cloudy in 2022, we had fewer days of heat with temperatures over 21c in 2022 and the max temperature of 30c in 2018 was far lower than 39c this year. It was the intense heat of mid July and mid August that did the most damage to plants and shrubs and that is the main reason why there are few nymphalid butterflies around now, as this week’s sightings clearly show, although 13 species seen is not a bad total for late September :-
Brimstone :- A late sighting on the 27th of September 2022 at Wyver Lane, Belper (Dave Evans)
Large White :- Still flying up to and including the 29th of September 2022
Small White :- Again still flying up to and including the 29th of September 2022
Green Veined White:- 2 late sightings on the 29th of September 2022 at both the Forge site in Ironville (Sally Fisher) and along the Chesterfield Canal at Staveley (Sid Morris)
Small Copper :- As expected, about a 40% reduction in numbers this last week with 70 individuals seen at 14 sites in the County with the highest count of 20 coming from Godkin, Heanor on the 28th of September 2022 (Lucy Benniston) and 23 seen in Woo Dale on the 23rd of September 2022 – Ian & Joy White).
Common Blue :- A couple of late sightings with one noted on the 28th of September 2022 at Drakelow NR (Andy Large & Nigel Cowl) together with 3 seen on the 29th of September 2022 at Godkin, Heanor (Lucy Benniston)
Red Admiral :- Another reduction in numbers this week in the region of 50% with 43 individuals noted at 38 sites in mainly one and twos but 6 were seen in Wyver Lane, Belper on the 29th of September 2022 (Richard Taylor)
Painted Lady :- A couple of individuals were noted this week, hanging on in the County before the rain and strong winds arrived, with one seen on the 28th of September 2022 in Rowthorne Lane, Glapwell (David Elliott) and another on buddleia in the Godfreyhole garden of Jean Hurdle on the 29th of September 2022 – let’s hope that they managed to fly back to North Africa?
Small Tortoiseshell :- Yet another very poor week for this species, which should go into hibernation once the first frosts arrive, with just 14 individuals noted from 9 sites – the highest count of 4 coming from Waterswallows near Buxton (Steve & Lin Orridge)
Peacock :- I have received just 1 record for this species since the last Update when an individual was seen on the 21st of September 2022 in the Tideswell garden of Esther Weir – it certainly looks to be a species in crisis this year.
Comma :- Faring slightly better than the last 2 species with 25 individuals noted at 12 sites this last week including 8 seen at Ogston Hall on the 27th of September 2022 (Caroline Wakefield) and 4 seen on the same day in Wyver Lane, Belper (Dave Evans). Great photos of the species taken in Hay Dale this week by Ian & Joy White show the dark underside of the winter version compared to the golden underside of the summer version that was taken by Robin Bryce (see the attached photos)
Speckled Wood :- This species is still widespread across the County with 86 individuals noted at 40 sites with the highest counts coming from Hardwick Park (13 no – John Castell) and from Chee Dale (8 no – Robert & Margaret Davies).
Small Heath :- Gordon Shaw got a pleasant surprise on the 26th of September whilst playing golf at the Ormonde Fields Course near Codnor when one of this species flew up from the semi rough grass on the course there (latest County sighting is the 14th of October (2003)
Sadly no sightings of the third brood Wall Brown this week despite records for both male and female recently – David Chandler of B C Essex tells me that the species is still on the wing there and has had three distinct broods on the coast whereas here in Derbyshire there has been an overlap of the second and third broods.
Probably not too surprising is the fact that the migrant Humming Bird Hawk moth was seen at 6 locations this week in Derbyshire with records received from gardens in Tideswell (Esther Weir), Godfreyhole (Jean Hurdle), Staveley (Sid Morris), Glossop (Dave Mallon), Ogston Hall (Caroline Wakefield) and on the 1st of October in the Wirksworth garden of Jonathan Page. Many recorders have managed to see this rare moth in their gardens for the first time this year – will some of them over-winter here in Derbyshire?.
Finally, yet another striking moth caterpillar was seen and photographed this week – the Knot Grass noted in Allestree Park by Bill Grange on the 29th of September 2022 – who said that moths and their caterpillars were dull and boring!
