However, I strongly suspect that it is a bred & released specimen (it would be interesting to know whether it was undersized or not, as bred specimens usually are).
Reasoning:
1) I have been following larvae at Knepp and in Southwater Woods, known 'early' sites, where they only started to pupate at the end of May - and they usually last around 20 days in the pupal state.
2) March was bitter. April was cold and wet apart from two wonderful spells (4th to 6th and 17th to 22nd). It is possible that a few larvae commenced feeding around the 6th but most didn't start until the second warm spell - for the very good reason that the sallows came into leaf late.
3) A known breeder was in the wood that day.
4) Also, Chiddingfold Forest is not known as an 'early' site for iris and the White Admiral hasn't started yet (though it may be imminent).
Yet, all things are possible with this the best of all possible butterflies... .
Here are some photos of a larva observed pupating in Southwater Woods at noon on Mon June 4th. I don't think this has been observed in the wild before. It's a big girl, by the way, and she should emerge on Midsummer Day -
2 comments:
A. iris is on the wing in north-west Germany . First sighting two days ago.
Thank you Heiko. Is that early or on time for you?
It's going to be very late in the eastern Pyrenees, where the weather has been very wet for weeks.
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