Thursday, June 4, 2020

Slight Delay

I was searching hard at Knepp on Mon June 2nd and Tues June 3rd. No Purple Emperors were seen. It felt a little too early (the oaks hadn't darkened enough, though the sallows were ready), and the midsummer winged insects were only just beginning. I saw one early Purple Hairstreak, but no female Meadow Browns, just males. 

Neil Hulme and I feel that the 2020 Purple Emperor season will start on the next hot day, or the second hot day, when the current cool, cloudy spell ends. 

Numbers could be unusually high, as a result of the fine spring weather - but so much depends on flight season weather.

Dear June: don't collapse on us...

Very soon, then, the Lord of Misrule will erupt into Lockdown Brexit Britain, and create joyful chaos... No one does it better....

Here's a wild pupa, photographed near Knepp on Tuesday (from a wild larva followed by Ben Greenaway, thanks Ben). This was from a late-developing larva, in heavy shade.






2 comments:

Philip Byerley Johnson said...

"The earliest wild sighting of a Purple Emperor on the wing, in living memory, was said to be on June 11th 2017 at Bookham Common in Surrey. I was a little surprised that year, as the gap between White Admiral emerging from Pupa and Purple Emperor, was less than in previous years (I noted 9 or 10 days in 2015 at Bookham Common).
In 2017, the days leading up to June 11th were hot and sunny (congratulations Rob Hill for keeping your unbeaten early sighting record).
Pupa (or pupae) temperature did have (or play) a part.
June 13th 2020 general air temperatures were forecast to be warmer in Lincolnshire, than the previous week.
Average Life Cycle temperature development, gave those in southerly locality an advantage of seeing a national first "on the wing" sighting.
When direct sunlight appeared at this time of year, micro- climatic temperatures rose fast.
The advice was to survey in those windows of opportunity, when they occurred.
Kind regards.

Ric Clayton said...

I really want to thank Dr Emu for saving my marriage. My wife really treated me badly and left home for almost 3 month this got me sick and confused. Then I told my friend about how my wife has changed towards me. Then she told me to contact Dr Emu that he will help me bring back my wife and change her back to a good woman. I never believed in all this but I gave it a try. Dr Emu casted a spell of return of love on her, and my wife came back home for forgiveness and today we are happy again. If you are going through any relationship stress or you want back your Ex or Divorce husband you can contact his whatsapp +2347012841542 or email emutemple@gmail.com website: Https://emutemple.wordpress.com/