Hello Everyone, A rather changeable week meant that the totals of butterflies seen at many sites in the County were down on previous weeks although some sites in the Peak District remained high such as Tansley/Cressbrookdale on the 25th of July 2025 where Gordon & Alison Rooke noted 242 butterflies in 21 species! Nevertheless there were still some very interesting records – no more so than the appearance of the Purple Emperor at a site near to Barton Under Needwood in East Staffordshire (Trevor Wright) – so it now looks like Iris is making a 3 way expansion into Derbyshire from North West Leicestershire, West Notts and now East Staffordshire – see the attached latest distribution map for 2025.
Other recent interesting records include :-
Dingy Skipper :- Yet more second brood sightings with records from Hoe Grange Quarry (Max & Christine Maughan), Dene Quarry, Cromford (Jonathan Page), Tansley/Cressbrookdale (Gordon & Alison Rooke) and in North East Derbyshire at Markham Vale South Tip (Mark Radford)
Holly Blue :- Still being seen mostly in gardens and parks with 8 being noted on the 25th of July 2025 feeding on Hemp Agrimony along the Cromford Canal (Alison Pritchard)
Small Copper :- Highest count this last week came from Hartington Meadows on the 23rd of July 2025 when 12 were noted on the transect there by Helen & David Jeffery
Common Blue :- Pleasingly now appearing at some sites where it was thought to be lost in 2024 – highest counts being noted on the 21st of July 2025 at Markham Pit North (64 no – Sid Morris) followed by 60 no seen at Markham Pit South on the 25th of July 2025 (Mark Radford) and also 49 no seen at Salter Wood, Denby on the 25th of July 2025 by Jane Rogers.
Summer Hairstreaks :- The changeable weather of last week has put a dampener on sightings of both the Purple Hairstreakas well as the White Letter Hairstreak with records from just 5 localities in the County for each species.
Peacock :- Highest recent counts have all come from the Peak District – 72 in Hoe Grange Quarry on the 25th of July 2025 – Max & Christine Maughan, 79 in Chatsworth Gardens (Christine Gregory) and 84 at Waterswallows, Buxton (Sheila Stubbs) all on the same day, whereas Nigel Davidson noticed 5 of the species in hibernation on the 19th of July 2025 at his NR in Belper – all fully fed and tucked up ready for winter! and Sid Morris noted 3 of the species hibernating in an old railway underpass at Markham Vale North on the 25th of July 2025 along with 11 no Old Lady moths!
Small Tortoiseshell :- A few sites in the County are now showing mint condition specimens of this species which suggests that a new brood has recently emerged including Newton Solney (Ellen Hancock) and Dene Quarry, Cromford ( Jonathan Page)
Silver Washed Fritillary:- This large orange and black graceful butterfly continues its movement north in the County with only a few sightings now in Lowland Derbyshire – indeed a total of 21 were seen, including some in copulation, at Thornhill NR near Bamford on the 25th of July 2025 (Joanna & Peter Mackey).
Gatekeeper :- Probably the most common of the ‘brown’ butterflies in Lowland areas of the County now including a massive 232 seen on the 18th of July 2025 at Markham Vale North Pit ( Mark Radford) but at least numbers are beginning to rise in the Peak District as numbers of both Meadow Brown and the Ringlet are diminishing. It has been somewhat of a surprise that there have been very few aberrations noted this year but Marion Farrell saw and photographed an Arête form of the Ringlet recently at Toton Washlands
Wall Brown :- A slow start to the second brood of this Endangered Butterfly Species with just 30 individuals noted at 21 sites in the County including Hundall (Judy Heap), Carr Vale NR (Anita Moore), Wessington (Ron Fullelove) and Ogston Reservoir (Karen Doxey) in North East Derbyshire although the species is only just appearing at the Peak District ‘hot spots’ of Longstone Edge and Hoe Grange Quarry with the highest count recently being just 4 individuals seen at Dene Quarry, Cromford on the 25th of July 2025 (Jonathan Page)
Painted Lady :- A total of 28 individuals noted at just 23 sites across the County was somewhat disappointing with 2 seen on the 25th of July 2025 at both Hoe Grange Quarry (Max & Christine Gregory) and at West Hallam Ash Tip ( Ken & Pat Orpe) and 4 seen at South Wingfield (Alesandro Congiu) on the same day.
Humming Bird Hawk moth :- Even fewer sightings of the migrant moth recently from just 6 locations with 2 individuals noted on the 25th of July 2025 at Hoe Grange Quarry (Max & Christine Maughan)
