The Wey Forward March - May 2021

Butterflies During the monthly walks organised by the Walton Methodist Church, many butterflies were seen, especially in warmer sunny weather. In the second of a short series Colin Wright details some that were seen, omitting the Large White, Small White, Green - veined White and Small Tortoiseshell, scarce in Surrey in recent years, and the Painted Lady, which although once a frequently seen migrant, wasn’t seen at all. These insects emphasise the amazing diversity of God’s creation, which need a healthy habitat to pass on their beauty to future generations. Reference: “Butterflies of Surrey Revisited”, by Ken Willmott and members of Butterfly Conservation Surrey Branch.

Peacock These have been a beautiful sight throughout Surrey, but the newly arrived parasite, the tachinid, has reduced their numbers. They can be seen for much of the year as the adults hibernate. Females lay several hundred eggs on nettles or occasionally on hops, with adults emerging in July. In a warm summer there can be a second brood with adults emerging in September. Their interesting defence is the hissing noise they can make when alarmed by rubbing their forewings together!

Purple Hairstreak These overwinter as an egg, with the caterpillars emerging in April to feed on oak leaves. The adults fly from June to August being quite common in places like Ashtead Common where we saw one in June 2018. Although common in places like Bookham Commons and Richmond Park they are often not easily seen as they spend time in the oak canopy.

Red Admiral This distinctive butterfly can be seen from March to November, being a combination of hibernators, migrants and native emergents, with numbers peaking in July and August. Eggs are laid singly on nettle leaves and take about 50 days to develop from a caterpillar to adults. We saw Red Admirals on several of our walks, including those in Bookham Commons. More spectacular, in September 2018 we passed a number gathered in a tree by Papercourt Lake, Ripley.

White Admiral These are found in woodland areas with honeysuckle as foodplant for the caterpillars and bramble where adults gather nectar. They fly from June to August, seeing them on several occasions in Bookham Commons. Butterflies are counted regularly along transects in Surrey, White Admirals, for example, are counted regularly in transects on Epsom and Ashtead Commons. Noting the number of each species every year helps to assess the health of the natural environment

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