Butterflies of Bedminster
Lots of people are already reporting butterflies and day moths, especially on our facebook. Some great pictures are being shared. Every year since we started in 2017, our group of butterfly observers has increased. Hopefully, that trend will continue in 2020. It’s not too late to start. We are looking for reports from domestic and community gardens but also other spaces such as parks and local nature reserves. One thing that we have learned is that different butterflies prefer different environments. You’ll see holly blues in most gardens, but you’ll need to go to somewhere like the Northern Slopes if you want to spot a marbled white. Here are my records from my garden in Southville together with the date on which I spotted my first butterfly.
I’m sure I’ve had more whites than are recorded, but they are fast movers and I’ve only set down the ones that I am reasonably positive about. A net helps. And who knows who visits when I’m not looking?
. Only the males have orange tips which are used, not to delight us, but to teach birds to avoid them. The caterpillars feed on mustard plants and thus are unpleasant to eat. Birds soon get the message, thus allowing the males to fly around looking for females. The females themselves are usually hidden in vegetation. When their wings are closed the ‘mossy green’ of the lower wing is a good camouflage. Both males and females have this particular pattern on their lower wing and it’s a good way of telling a female orange tip from other white butterflies which have other patterns.
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