Here we go again!

Today (23rd June 2009) a privileged group, including Hannah Sandars, Andy Stokes, Tom Ottley and I, saw two Emperors in Southwater Woods (West Sussex). The first was 'on the deck' in the eastern part of Marlpost Wood - I nearly trod on Him at 11.55 hrs. The second made a couple of brief sorties around the Dogbarking Master Trees at 13.00hrs, while our small gathering paid homage from below.

Being new to this game, Hannah quickly realised the dangers of 'Emperor Neck', so adopted a hitherto unseen observation posture - easily confused with 'being asleep'.

The woods were kind to us today, with sightings of Silver-washed Fritillary ab. ocellata and White Admiral ab. obliterae.

The emergence of His Majesty was celebrated in traditional style at the 'Selsey Arms' and then later (just to be sure) at the 'George and Dragon'.

Doings during the 2009 Purple Emperor Season

National One Sock Day will be staged on Wed 1^st July. On this day those of Purple Persuasion are obliged to spend time in an Iris wood wearing only a single sock – to commemorate Brother Neil’s famous self-disrobing on 1^st July 2008. The sock may be of any size or colour, though if it covers the entire body the wearer is obliged to hop. This is the most important event in the Purple calendar.

Invasion of Fermyn Woods. This will take place between 4^th-11^th July.

The Emperor’s Breakfast will be filmed by the BBC in Fermyn Wood on Sunday 5^th July. The piece will be presented by the Hon. Mike Dilger, who has been made an Honorary Member of our loose association. The Breakfast is being staged as a contemporary art event, and will consist of several artistically decorated trestle tables containing platters offering a variety of substances, legal and otherwise, to the Emperor of the Woods.

The Beeb should also filming Purple Emperors in Alice Holt Forest, for a major programme on British butterflies.

Oates’s Sabbatical. Oates is on sabbatical this summer, by kind permission of the National Trust, doing a variety of doings relating to Our Sovereign Insect. These include mark & recapture on males (or mark & never see again) in Alice Holt Forest, in order to determine longevity, frequency of territory occupancy, and perhaps mobility; work seeking to classify the types of sallows favoured by the butterfly; various engagement events - and a whole load of Silly things. Please do not attempt to extract common sense from him during this period.

Captain of School. Neil Hulme is Captain of School for this term.

Matthew's Prospects for the Season

Gentlemen, Ladies:

The Sukebind is coming into bloom! Camilla [1] and Paphia are upon us, and as you may know, His Imperial Majesty, the Monarch of all the Butterflies, the High Spirit of the Midsummer Trees, takes to the air when Camilla males are well out. In mathematical terms the equation is Camilla + Paphia + Quercus = Iris. The Empress, though, usually appears in synchrony with the humble Gatekeeper, Tithonus[2].

So, in the southern woods, it will be worth scanning the trees from 25^th June onwards, though the first Iris males may not appear until the 28^th, perhaps even the 30^th. Further north the insect may not start until 1^st or 2^nd July. Much, though, depends on the weather over the next ten days or so - and a big anticyclone is about to come over from the Azores, which could well speed up these emergence estimates. The start of The Season is always difficult to predict. The commencement of The Season will be announced in the usual manner on this website… .

It is unlikely that iris will be particularly plentiful this year, for two reasons. First, although the butterfly emerged in good numbers in 2008, it got decimated (in sensu hodie) by an autumnal gale on 5^th / 6^th July and therefore did not lay a great many eggs. Secondly, pupation may have been hindered by cold and intermittently wet weather between 6^th to 10^th June this year (though hopefully many had pupated before that period).

However, much depends on the weather from now on. As with White Admiral, there is a strong correlation between short pupal periods, caused by hot June weather, and a high emergence.

Above all, enjoy the forthcoming Season, and report all notable doings to this website…

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[1] Some members may wish to refer to this butterfly by its old name, Sibylla.

[2] Tithonus won prat of the year in 3000BC. He was a handsome youth beloved by Eos, the goddess of dawn, who persuaded Zeus to grant him everlasting life – only they forgot to ask for everlasting youth, the result being that the poor boy withered away and was last seen hopping around as a grasshopper…

Three weeks and counting

Who's going to be first off the mark this year? Get registered as a blogger now, so that you can report the first flight of 2009. Email to derekcva@gmail.com, and I'll organsise permissions for you to blog away.

A Sad Tale (Part 2)

On 31 May Matthew Oates and Hannah (my yet-to-be-indoctrinated 'other half') returned to the 'Magic Sallow' in search of Lord Lucan, or any of his sibling larvae. Not only did he fail to show, but I am sad to report the demise of this once proud tree. It has been maliciously stripped of its bark by one or more squirrels and is now at least 50% dead wood. Needless to say I have now cancelled my subscription to the 'Tufty Club'.

A Sad Tale (Part 1)

Here are some images of the wild iris caterpillar that I first found on 18 April 2009 and last saw on 1 May, before it sadly disappeared, never to be seen again. Having survived the always tricky winter period, it was very disappointing to lose him at this stage.



The 'Magic Sallow' near to my former home in Arundel (West Sussex) has allowed me the privilege of tracking up to 6 larvae until the point of pupation in previous years. I now realise that it was rather irresponsible of me to have christened him 'Lord Lucan'.

Crossing fingers and toes

Hearing very negative weather reports throughout the Purple Empire - those of us in exile are crossing our fingers and toes, hoping the early stages hang on to give you a great July. Eagerly counting down to that first record.