Hello Everyone, I mentioned on my last Update as to how resilient our local butterflies are and this last week proved just that as despite the heavy rain at the beginning of the month, once that yellow ball in the sky appeared, so did at least 160 butterflies in 12 species appear,  much to the delight of the recorders who happened to be in the right place and at the right time in the County.

So unbelievably here is the list of the butterfly species seen in Derbyshire already this month : –

Brimstone :- 4 individuals seen at 3 locations up to and including the 4th of October 2024 including sightings at Parwich (Saskia Tallis), Barlborough (Neil & Lorraine Jones) and 2 noted at Elvaston Country Park on the 4th of October 2024 (Mike Tong).

Large White :- Still going strong at 17 locations with 23 individuals noted up to and including the 5th of October 2024

Small White :- Again still being seen at 13 locations with 17 individuals noted up to and including the 5th of October 2024

Green Veined White :- Just 3 individuals noted at Buxton (Ian & Joy White), Carr Brook (Neil & Lorraine Jones) and in the Glapwell garden of David Elliott on the 3rd of October 2024

Small Copper :- 3 late sightings at Darley Park, Derby on the 4th of October 2024 (Fran Vause), another individual noted in Woo Dale on the 5th of October 2024 (Ian & Joy White) and one at Oxcroft on the 6th of October 2024 (Neil & Lorraine Jones)

Holly Blue :- A late individual was seen in the Darley Dale garden of Rod & Brenda Dunn on the 4th of October 2024

Red Admiral :- Good numbers still being seen in the County with sightings of 53 individuals at 26 sites up to and including the 5th of October 2024 with a maximum of 12 noted on flowering ivy at Broomfield College on the 4th of October 2024 (Paul Foskett)

Painted Lady :- A very late individual was noted on the 2nd of October 2024 on buddleia in the Doe Lea garden of Willy Lane – the first sighting of the species this year for him!

Small Tortoiseshell :- A total of 15 individuals were noted at 10 sites up to the 5th of October 2024 with a maximum of 5 noted on the 4th of October 2024 in the Whatstandwell garden of Don Zmartzy

Peacock :- Strangely just 1 sighting of this species on the 4th of October 2024 in Ashbourne (Roger Smith)

Comma :- A total of 22 individuals noted at 13 sites across the County up to and including the 6th of October 2024 with 5 no seen at both Grassmoor on ripe blackberries (Brian Cuttell) and on ivy at Elvaston Country Park (Mike Tong) on the 4th of October 2024

Speckled Wood :- A total of 18 butterflies noted at 13 locations this week with 3 seen at both Sunnydale Park (Maurice Ireland) and Eyam (John Hall) on the 5th of October 2024

Some of you will no doubt be visiting Spain in the not too distant future for some fine weather, so with this in mind, I thought that I would share with you some great news from the Costa del Sol – last week, Terry Evans  was on holiday in Benalmadena, where there is a park named Parque de la Paloma. There were planted two beds of the Mexican Butterfly Weed Aslepsis curassavica to attract Monarch butterflies. On his three visits to the site, there were up to ten adults seen along with caterpillars and chrysalis and I have attached some photographs that Terry has emailed to me – well done to the Spanish Authorities and Terry for finding the site!

https://www.andalucia.org/en/visitas-parque-de-la-paloma