Zero Tolerance!

The Committee of the People of Purple Persuasion recently met at Knepp Castle. We've no idea who was in the Chair: we'd never seen him before and he slumbered drunkenly throughout. Also present were Sir Charles Burrell, Mr Hulme, Mr Oates, a blonde young lady and two 3rd instar Purple Emperor larvae.

As usual, the issue of the Reserve B (Offshore) Account was discussed at length. No further progress can be reported on this long-running saga. The account, which may never have existed and may or may not have any money in it, has seemingly disappeared into the ether.

The other item discussed was Male Behaviour, a much more serious matter. It was unanimously agreed that to date Purple Emperor males have been far too modest and restrained in their behaviour, and at times almost effete. 

The caterpillars present proposed a strongly worded resolution that from henceforth the males should adopt a policy of Zero Tolerance, towards anything. The motion was carried. We can look forward to an exuberance of appallingly bad behaviour this season, and thereafter.

The insect is, incidentally, currently changing from the 3rd to 4th instar, having been held up by the recent poor weather. It should catch up and make considerable progress during the spell of fine weather that is forecast to start over the weekend.

At this stage, the butterfly is likely to start to emerge at the end of June, but much depends on the weather during May and June.  Watch this space...  I should be able to predict a start date by the beginning of June.

Meanwhile, I'm off to the Costa Brava to do battle with Charaxes jasius, a big pansy of a butterfly that wouldn't last thirty seconds in the midsummer oak canopy anywhere in the Purple Empire. I'm also visiting a stunning valley in the Catalan Pyrenees where iris is, apparently, abundant, and feeds regularly from Woolly Thistle flowers.