Located seven of the larvae I've been following in the Wiltshire woods and, incredibly, also found one that was last seen in mid September. Four of these eight were about half way through the final instar, the other four were skin changing into the final instar.
They are getting increasingly hard to follow, due to their increasing mobility - one had moved 5m! They seem to be venturing up the trees - some are only visible through binoculars. However, I am now fairly certain that there was a pulse of predation during that cold second week of May: three vanished then, whilst skin changing (into 4th instar), and have not been refound.
My guess is that the butterfly should start to appear at the very end of June, but much depends on how long it takes them to pupate - which is weather dependent. Watch this space...
Monday, May 31, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Larval Progress, 24th May
Checked 9 wild iris larvae in stultifying heat (optional clothing weather). One had recently changed into the final instar and 2 more larvae were skin changing into the final (5th) instar. The rest were all in the mid 4th state apart from one laggard who is in the early 4th state.
6 had moved distances of between .4m to 2.2m, and I couldn't find one who must have gone >3m (will check again). They are feeding strongly in this fine weather.
What does this mean? We're probably on for a late June emergence but much depends on how long it takes them to pupate, which is weather influenced, and June weather generally.
Some of my captive larvae are more advanced, mid way through the final instar, but I will be putting most of these out in the wild soon, to stand a chance of finding pupae.
Watch this space, we should be able to predict the start of the 2010 flight season quite accurately...
6 had moved distances of between .4m to 2.2m, and I couldn't find one who must have gone >3m (will check again). They are feeding strongly in this fine weather.
What does this mean? We're probably on for a late June emergence but much depends on how long it takes them to pupate, which is weather influenced, and June weather generally.
Some of my captive larvae are more advanced, mid way through the final instar, but I will be putting most of these out in the wild soon, to stand a chance of finding pupae.
Watch this space, we should be able to predict the start of the 2010 flight season quite accurately...
Monday, May 17, 2010
Latest Doings
In the wild, iris larvae have largely gone into their 4th instar, though some late ones were held up whilst skin changing by last week's cold weather. The more advanced ones are heading towards the final skin change - they will be feeding up fast in this warm weather. I am having problems keeping track of these big boys as they are quite mobile - one has travelled 3m. Also, and worryingly, I may have lost a couple of larvae that were skin changing, presumably to tit predation - either that or they went trucking big time the moment they changed skin (and I failed to find the cast skin).
Thank you to everyone who voted Purple at the general election. We are forming a coalition goverment with the Ulster Unionists...
Matthew
Thank you to everyone who voted Purple at the general election. We are forming a coalition goverment with the Ulster Unionists...
Matthew
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Rejoice!
Rejoice, Oh ye of little faith, for that which was lost is found, and that which is found wasn't lost in the first place, it's just that I missed them ... . I am delighted to say that today I re-found three wild iris larvae that were lost last autumn when, in unseasonally mild weather, they forsook the leaves and went in search of hibernating quarters. Two of them I searched for, twice and thrice respectively, during the winter. Lord knows where they were*. Thus was a perfectly vile day well spent.
One of the monitored wild larvae has changed into the 4th instar and at least 6 others are in the process of skin changing. All bar one have been feeding well - there is still one runt which may or may not be alive. It has coloured up well but has not fed yet. Odd.
And don't forget, on Thursday, wearing one sock only, Vote Purple! One or two people have complained that the Purple Manifesto is too serious - they're missing the point: it is serious... .
* The Lord does know, but is not letting on, at least not to me.
One of the monitored wild larvae has changed into the 4th instar and at least 6 others are in the process of skin changing. All bar one have been feeding well - there is still one runt which may or may not be alive. It has coloured up well but has not fed yet. Odd.
And don't forget, on Thursday, wearing one sock only, Vote Purple! One or two people have complained that the Purple Manifesto is too serious - they're missing the point: it is serious... .
* The Lord does know, but is not letting on, at least not to me.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Purple Manifesto
When elected we shall –
Environment
Disband the Forestry Commission and form –
- Woodfuel UK, to promote the sensible use of wood and woods.
- Salix UK, to promote sallow in the landscape throughout lowland Britain, backed by a properly funded version of Forest Research.
All non-native conifers and other arboreal riff-raff to be removed within 25 years.
Felling of sallow trees made a capital offence.
Provide state funding for Butterfly Conservation to carry out research, survey and monitoring, and oversee the development of shrimp paste and other baits for iris.
Abolition of alpacas and llamas, and serious rationalisation of the horsy industry.
Spray all grey squirrels red.
Use of the word ‘biodiversity’ to become a capital offence.
CRoW Act amended to include right of access to all woodland (apart from <15 days during the period 1st October to 31st January), and all fields (margins if arable).
No agricultural field to be larger than 15 acres, with broad headlands, hedges, scrub (+ Salix) belts and plenty of woodland.
All sheep to be excluded from limestone grassland between 1st March and 1st September. Rogue sheep loose on this habitat during this period, or observed ‘worrying’ the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary in any other manner, to be shot on sight.
Transport
Horse boxes and caravans permitted to travel only between 10pm and 6am.
All white vans to be painted effeminate pink and banned from outside lanes.
Speed limits reduced to 60mph on motorways and dual carriageways, 50mph on A roads, 40mph on B roads and 30 elsewhere, or 20mph in any residential area. To save fuel, reduce noise and reduce buffeting.
Road verges to be managed for nature (hence reducing buffeting).
Two days per month (rising to four) free of traffic, lawnmowers, chainsaws, clay pigeon shooting etc and aircraft (emergency vehicles only).
Cultural
Purple Emperor to be established as England’s national emblem, attended by his attendant lord, His Grace the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary.
Salix caprea to be established as England’s national tree.
6 week national holiday from Midsummer Day to 1st August. Clothing optional during this period.
Purple Flag to fly at entrances to all Purple Emperor sites, and from all public buildings etc during this period.
National One Sock Day, 1st July.
Ministries of Happiness and Beauty to be created.
Live test cricket reinstated to BBC TV, and Test Match Special broadcast in public places.
Entomological trade fairs abolished.
Chardonnay grape outlawed.
Not more than 2 non-UK passport holders per football, rugby and county cricket team.
End to targets, monitoring and reporting systems.
End to Organisational Restructuring Disease (change management programmes).
Ban taxonomy and taxonomic name changes.
Health Service
End of government interference.
Education
HM The Queen, all living Prime ministers, the Archbishop of Canterbury and The Pope to apologise publicly for the 20th century boarding school system.
Return of nature table, old fashioned geography and The Classics, to include Roman Studies and Greek studies. Abolition of French, poetry and compulsory subjects.
New degree courses in promiscuity, drunkenness, etc, along Roman principles.
Reinstatement of student grant system.
No other government intervention.
How will we fund this?
Immediate withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, Iraq etc, and firm commitment against further interventions.
Prat Tax on all material nonsense goods such as jet skis (large) and fingernail extensions (small).
50% income tax from £60,000-£100,000, thereafter 75%. Bankers and Chief Exec bonuses to be taxed at 75%.
Environment
Disband the Forestry Commission and form –
- Woodfuel UK, to promote the sensible use of wood and woods.
- Salix UK, to promote sallow in the landscape throughout lowland Britain, backed by a properly funded version of Forest Research.
All non-native conifers and other arboreal riff-raff to be removed within 25 years.
Felling of sallow trees made a capital offence.
Provide state funding for Butterfly Conservation to carry out research, survey and monitoring, and oversee the development of shrimp paste and other baits for iris.
Abolition of alpacas and llamas, and serious rationalisation of the horsy industry.
Spray all grey squirrels red.
Use of the word ‘biodiversity’ to become a capital offence.
CRoW Act amended to include right of access to all woodland (apart from <15 days during the period 1st October to 31st January), and all fields (margins if arable).
No agricultural field to be larger than 15 acres, with broad headlands, hedges, scrub (+ Salix) belts and plenty of woodland.
All sheep to be excluded from limestone grassland between 1st March and 1st September. Rogue sheep loose on this habitat during this period, or observed ‘worrying’ the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary in any other manner, to be shot on sight.
Transport
Horse boxes and caravans permitted to travel only between 10pm and 6am.
All white vans to be painted effeminate pink and banned from outside lanes.
Speed limits reduced to 60mph on motorways and dual carriageways, 50mph on A roads, 40mph on B roads and 30 elsewhere, or 20mph in any residential area. To save fuel, reduce noise and reduce buffeting.
Road verges to be managed for nature (hence reducing buffeting).
Two days per month (rising to four) free of traffic, lawnmowers, chainsaws, clay pigeon shooting etc and aircraft (emergency vehicles only).
Cultural
Purple Emperor to be established as England’s national emblem, attended by his attendant lord, His Grace the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary.
Salix caprea to be established as England’s national tree.
6 week national holiday from Midsummer Day to 1st August. Clothing optional during this period.
Purple Flag to fly at entrances to all Purple Emperor sites, and from all public buildings etc during this period.
National One Sock Day, 1st July.
Ministries of Happiness and Beauty to be created.
Live test cricket reinstated to BBC TV, and Test Match Special broadcast in public places.
Entomological trade fairs abolished.
Chardonnay grape outlawed.
Not more than 2 non-UK passport holders per football, rugby and county cricket team.
End to targets, monitoring and reporting systems.
End to Organisational Restructuring Disease (change management programmes).
Ban taxonomy and taxonomic name changes.
Health Service
End of government interference.
Education
HM The Queen, all living Prime ministers, the Archbishop of Canterbury and The Pope to apologise publicly for the 20th century boarding school system.
Return of nature table, old fashioned geography and The Classics, to include Roman Studies and Greek studies. Abolition of French, poetry and compulsory subjects.
New degree courses in promiscuity, drunkenness, etc, along Roman principles.
Reinstatement of student grant system.
No other government intervention.
How will we fund this?
Immediate withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, Iraq etc, and firm commitment against further interventions.
Prat Tax on all material nonsense goods such as jet skis (large) and fingernail extensions (small).
50% income tax from £60,000-£100,000, thereafter 75%. Bankers and Chief Exec bonuses to be taxed at 75%.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Larval Doings
Visited surviving wild larvae on Saturday. One had died - shrivelled up. A week ago it had looked fine and seemed poised to start feeding.
Most have started to feed, though four of them rather jumped the gun and had bitten into leaf buds that had yet to start unfurling, though three are feeding properly on baby leaves. Three have moved short distances (10-25cm). Five are still lying in waiting, for their chosen leaf buds to start unfurling. There's a problem here for them, as they seem to choose leaf buds at random, rather that pick early developers. For example, two aligned themselves next to dead buds, which begs the question of whether they too will desiccate and die. I fear for them... .
In captivity, one late larva woke up on Saturday (>2 weeks after the others) and immediately started to feed. These larvae are all on non-flowering bushes, which came into leaf much earlier than trees in the wild (which flower before leafing). This means they have a great advantage in that they do not have to wait, post hibernation, for leaf buds to open. Yet the females do not select early-leafing trees in the wild.
I have, though, lost one more captive larva to desiccation (and three all told). This seems to be a problem familiar to those who breed iris. But does anyone have a theory as to what causes it? (I've never breed the species in any numbers, so my sample size has always been too small). It may be due to larvae simply running out of fuel prior to beginning to feed properly, in which case selecting early-leafing trees / branches would be a distinct advantage. Ideas please?
Most have started to feed, though four of them rather jumped the gun and had bitten into leaf buds that had yet to start unfurling, though three are feeding properly on baby leaves. Three have moved short distances (10-25cm). Five are still lying in waiting, for their chosen leaf buds to start unfurling. There's a problem here for them, as they seem to choose leaf buds at random, rather that pick early developers. For example, two aligned themselves next to dead buds, which begs the question of whether they too will desiccate and die. I fear for them... .
In captivity, one late larva woke up on Saturday (>2 weeks after the others) and immediately started to feed. These larvae are all on non-flowering bushes, which came into leaf much earlier than trees in the wild (which flower before leafing). This means they have a great advantage in that they do not have to wait, post hibernation, for leaf buds to open. Yet the females do not select early-leafing trees in the wild.
I have, though, lost one more captive larva to desiccation (and three all told). This seems to be a problem familiar to those who breed iris. But does anyone have a theory as to what causes it? (I've never breed the species in any numbers, so my sample size has always been too small). It may be due to larvae simply running out of fuel prior to beginning to feed properly, in which case selecting early-leafing trees / branches would be a distinct advantage. Ideas please?
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Iris on Radio 4
The monarch of all the butterflies will be featured in Radio 4's Saving Species programme on Tues April 20th at 11am, as an update on Larval Doings in a Wiltshire Wood. It looks as though the programme wont be repeated on Thurs evening as there's a primeministerial debate then instead (!), so catch it on Iplayer if you miss it on Tues.
Matthew
Matthew
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