Hello Everyone, Despite a limited amount of sunshine in the County during the last week, it did not prevent 11 butterfly species being seen in Derbyshire including a third brood Holly Blue when Pete Clark saw a mint individual flying around an ivy plant in Ironville on the 17^th of October 2024 together with a  Painted Lady seen on a late flowering buddleia frond on both the 19^th of October and the 20^th of October 2024 in the Mickleover garden of Colin Bowler.

Other species seen in the County this week include :-

Brimstone :- 2 individuals noted at Elvaston Country Park on the 14^th of October 2024 (Mike Tong) and another seen at Poolsbrook Country Park on the 17^th of October 2024 (Neil & Lorraine Jones).

Large White :- 8 individuals noted this week at 6 locations up to and including the 18^th of October 2024 when Deborah Marshall saw and photographed one in her Duffield garden.

Small White :- 6 Individuals noted at 5 locations up to and including the 18^th of October 2024 when Sally Pereira saw one in her Bradwell garden

Green Veined White :- Just 1 individual noted on the 19^th of October 2024 on flowering ivy in the Glapwell garden of David Elliott.

Red Admiral :- Still being seen regularly on late flowering buddleias and ivy plants, together with ripe fruits, with records received this week of 40 individuals from 28 sites with maximum gatherings of 3 coming from Dronfield (Paul Townsend) Elvaston Country Park (Mike Tong) and on the 20^th of October 2024 in the Glapwell Garden of David Elliott.

Small Tortoiseshell :- Just 7 individuals noted at 6 locations up to the 19^th of October 2024 when one was seen in the Glapwell garden of David Elliott and 2 were seen in the Parwich garden of Saskia Tallis.

Peacock :- Sightings of 3 individuals flying this week with records of 2 noted in Poolsbrook Country Park on the 17^th of October 2024 (Neil & Lorraine Jones) together with one noted on ivy in the Glapwell garden of David Elliott on the 19^th of October 2024.Meanwhile in the tramway tunnel at Ticknall Limeyards, Ian & Joy White saw 2 individuals in hibernation on the 15^th of October 2024 together with 13 Herald moths (see attached photos)

Comma :- Fewer numbers of this species were seen last week although there were sightings of 16 individuals noted at 14 locations in the County  up to and including the 19^th of October 2024 when Brian Cuttell noted 3 on both buddleia and blackberries in his Grassmoor garden.

Speckled Wood :- Sightings of 10 individuals this last week from 6 locations with 4 no noted in Tideswell Dale on the 18^th of October 2024 (Ian & Joy White) together with one in the Barlborough garden of Neil & Lorraine Jones on the 20^th of October 2024

Despite the relatively warm conditions during last week there have been no further Wall Brown sightings in the County but some Derbyshire recorders have seen the species whilst on their holiday breaks with records from the coastal areas of Suffolk (Jane Flint) and from the Lizard in Cornwall (Christine Gregory) Most people are aware of the importance of dandelions for nectar, especially in the Spring but Christine Gregory sent me a photo of a fresh dandelion seen this week which was covered in insects (see attached) and one of them appears to be a Marmalade Hoverfly.

Finally we all know how bad the weather was for insects and butterflies this year and I have now attached a chart with my basic weather conditions that we experienced here in Derby during the last 10 years in the transect season ( 183 days from the 1^st of April to the 30^th of September each year). Sunny Days (at least 4 hours of sunshine between 10 am and 4 pm) amounted to just 74 days in 2024 ( the average for the previous 9 years was 97 days) which is only 40% of the total transect days. So 60% of days in 2024 were not ideal for our butterflies to get on the wing and enjoy the conditions – now this 60% is what we are seeing in the decline in butterfly numbers at some sites so there appears to be some correlation there! 48 days of concrete coloured skies in 2024 was a massive increase on the average of 22 days during the previous 9 years of data. Of course the extremely wet days in the early Spring before the start of the transect season also had a dramatic effect on butterfly numbers as both eggs and larvae perished in the conditions. So how long will this situation last we ask ourselves? Well after the hot summers of 1975 and 1976 it took 7 years before butterfly numbers increased to their former levels – let’s hope it doesn’t take that long this time round!