Progress Report...

This is is an unusually wet May, and Purple Emperor larvae get held up badly by wet weather. They don't like wet foliage, though they are adept at making the most of dry weather windows, feeding up fast when the foliage is dry. Wet (and cold) weather holds up skin changing, which in months like this can take well over a week.  

One of my wild larvae, 'Boris', seemed to be about to start skin changing (to L4) on May 9th and was stuck changing on May 22nd. Here he is, taken yesterday:-

All the other larvae seen yesterday were in the mid-L4 stage, including one who was still in hibernation (though green) on April 30th. He's since caught up spectacularly, and has overtaken 'Boris'. 

All this means that wild larvae are not behind schedule - yet. The season is actually tracking that of 2010, when the first Emperor took to the air on June 26th (after a good June). Here's a typical mid-L4 larva, from yesterday:-

This is the infamous 'Priti', and she's on the march... Be very worried... 

Late May is a key time of year for Emperor larvae, with them feeding up in their final instar and preparing to pupate. It looks as though the weather is going to improve after tomorrow (it can hardly get worse...) - in which case, they'll catch up fast...

Provisionally, I guess that the first male will be seen on June 26th, but I'll make my formal prediction at the end of this month, as usual. But please don't think that Emperors wont start before mid-July this year - at least, not yet....  Neil's going for June 28th, at this stage. 

Watch this space... ... ...  

For the record, of the 20 larvae I have followed since last autumn, six are still extant: 'Boris', 'Jacob', 'Liz' (Truss), 'Margaret Hilda', 'Sir Nick' and 'Priti'. I may yet refind one or two others, notably Andrea (Leadsom). Winter larval survival was relatively good, though at least three were predated during the cold April, including 'Donald', my favourite.