Hello Everyone,
A coolish north east wind brought lots of cloud to the Region last week and it proved difficult to get Week 21 of the transect season completed, although the sunny weather over the Bank Holiday weekend certainly helped, – hence very few sightings have been received recently. With the remnants of Hurricane Erin about to hit the UK which will hopefully provide us with some welcome rain, the future looks to be distinctly Autumnal for both butterflies and humans alike.
Pleasingly a number of species are hanging on with the Small Copper finally showing itself at 60 locations recently including 14 no seen at the Erewash Meadows site in Ironville on the 24th of August 2025 (Stephen Bacon). Also other members of the ‘blue’ family are managing to survive okay with the latest second brood sighting of the Holly Blue to date being on the 25th of August 2025 in Ashbourne (Gary Atkins) and Barlow (Alan Hobson) and the Brown Argus Peak Race was noted on the 25thof August 2025 in both Hoe Grange Quarry (Max & Christine Maughan) and in Cunningdale (Steve & Lin Orridge) Low numbers of the Brown Argus Migrating Race have lasted until the 25th of August 2025 when 2 were seen in Coton Park LNR, Linton (Peter Brewster), with 3 noted at Drakelow NR on the 25th of August 2025 (Andy Large) together with a singleton at Allestree Park North (Steve Plant) The Common Blue has certainly had a better year in 2025 with 30 seen on the 15th of August 2025 along the Blackwell Trail (Helen Naylor) and 30 noted in Hoe Grange Quarry on the 25th of August 2025 (Max & Christine Maughan) Meanwhile, Lucy Benniston saw a very late second brood Dingy Skipper on the 17th of August 2025 at the Forge site in Ironville and Stephen Bacon saw 2 no worn individuals there on the 24th of August 2025 – in the Peak District, Ian & Joy White saw an individual in Woo Dale on the 17th of August 2025.
Meanwhile the Wall Brown is still showing reasonably well in the Peak District with 56 individuals noted at 26 locations up to the 25th of August 2025 with 5 noted in Smalldale, Hope on the 21st of August 2025 (Esther Weir). Also at the same time Speckled Wood numbers are increasing across the County with 24 seen on the 22nd of August 2025 in Allestree Park (Mike & Elaine Clarke) and 21 seen at the Forge site in Ironville on the 22nd of August 2025 (Sally Fisher et al) Another member of the ‘brown’ family, the Small Heath is still very apparent both in the Peak District and on ‘brownfield’ sites in Lowland Derbyshire with 60 noted on the 15th of August 2025 along the Blackwell Trail (Helen Naylor). There have also been some sightings of the new brood Comma recently – these being the offspring of the Hutchinsoni summer brood – these new butterflies will not breed until next Spring as they will go into hibernation when we get the first frosts, but in the meantime enjoy them!
Migrant wise, there has been a couple of Clouded Yellow sightings with one on the 21st of August 2025 at Shipley Lake (Lucy Benniston) together with another at Markham Vale on the 25th of August 2025 (Colin Morris) but the Painted Lady has been more widespread with 33 no seen at 25 sites across the County up to 25th of August 2025 with Ray Badger Walker noting 4 individuals in Hoe Grange Quarry on the 24th of August 2025. Just a few sightings of the Humming Bird Hawk moth this week with one noted in the Littleover garden of Alan Bryan on the 20th of August 2025, one in the Ironville garden of Pete Clark on the same day and another seen in Wessington on the 25th of August 2025 (Eric Easom)
Finally the flight period of His Imperial Majesty is over for another year and 2025 has seen yet more natural movement of the Purple Emperor through N W Leicestershire into South Derbyshire, together with a sighting in East Staffordshire, not far from the Derbyshire border. Further north there have been sightings of the species in North East Derbyshire – these being incursions from the colonies that were introduced into Notts over the years. Overall there were 20 sightings of Iris in Leicestershire and 10 sightings in Derbyshire during 2025, with 5 locations in the South of the County and 5 locations in North East Derbyshire (see the attached distribution map) – so the omens for 2026 look good for the species to become even more established in the County – let’s hope so!
