Butterfly Conservation
saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Butterfly Conservation - saving butterflies, moths and our environment
Sussex Branch
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Latest updates

Features: The history of butterfly recording in Sussex by Colin R. Pratt - NEW
22 June

The Butterfly Conservation Silver-studded Blue Project: Update
18 June

Neil Hulme awarded a British Empire Medal by The Queen
17 June

Fritillaries for the Future Update – 2017 SPBF Re-introduction Completed
10 June

Ashdown Forest Silver-studded Blue search news
10 June

2017 First sightings

0 Species to date
* indicates a national first

Gatekeeper
18 June

Essex Skipper
17 June

Camberwell Beauty
17 June

Dark Green Fritillary
13 June

Marbled White
13 June

Purple Hairstreak*
12 June

White Admiral*
10 June

White-letter Hairstreak
9 June

Small Skipper
7 June

Silver-washed Fritillary*
7 June

Ringlet
5 June

Silver-studded Blue
29 May

Meadow Brown
28 May

Large Skipper
25 May

Clouded Yellow
24 May

Wood White
20 May

Small Blue
6 May

Common Blue
30 April

Adonis Blue
30 April

Brown Argus
29 April

Duke of Burgundy
22 April

Pearl-bordered Fritillary
18 April

Wall Brown
15 April

Small Heath
14 April

Dingy Skipper*
8 April

Small Copper
7 April

Green Hairstreak
7 April

Grizzled Skipper*
2 April

Large Tortoiseshell
28 March

Green-veined White
27 March

Large White
27 March

Holly Blue
25 March

Orange-tip
25 March

Painted Lady
13 March

Speckled Wood
13 March

Small White
11 March

Comma
20 February

Small Tortoiseshell
24 January

Peacock
17 January

Brimstone*
10 January

Red Admiral
8 January

2016 sightings.
Earlier sightings.
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Recent sightings in Sussex

Sightings in June 2016

Lepidopterists sometimes refer to the "June gap" with fewer butterflies to be seen. This is because the spring butterflies are drawing to a close and the summer butterflies have yet to emerge.

We can expect to say goodbye for 2017 to Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Duke of Burgundy, Green Hairstreak, Wood White and Pearl-bordered Fritillary. Though there is always an outside chance of a second brood of Grizzled Skipper in August. The odd Orange-tip may linger until July.

In June, we can look forward to seeing the first of the Summer butterflies. These in include Gatekeeper, Purple Hairstreak, Purple Emperor, Essex-Skipper, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, White-letter Hairstreak, Ringlet, Small Skipper, Marbled White, Silver-studded Blue, Dark-green Fritillary.

This month, if you live near the Ashdown Forest or can get there, we are very interested in your Silver-studded Blue sightings and we hope you will submit them through the project page.

Ed jnr

Upcoming events and field trips

More

Friday 23 June

A male Dark Green Fritillary flew past at great speed but I did manage to follow its flight path and fortunately for me it perched on Greater Knapweed to nectar. I took three pics in 15-20 seconds and then rushed to the house to alert my wife, Mary. When we returned it flew off within a few seconds and headed north. That's 26 species of butterflies for our Storrington garden this year. (martin kalaher)

Sitting in my small,wildlife friendly garden on Fri afternoon, I was somewhat surprised but delighted when a Dark Green Fritillary flew in and briefly settled on some Perennial Wallflower in a tub on the patio, later followed by a Hummingbird Hawkmoth nectaring on flowering Sage. (Anna Grist)

Ashdown Forest Silver-studded blues project: Saw two males approx 150yds up the hill from the right hand pond. Just off of the path on the Heather and grasses. (Moi Hicks)

My intention today was a circular walk in the Steep Down, Cissbury area. But, I ended up spending most of my time on the path to the east of Steep Down watching Five Spot Burnet emerging from their paper-like cocoons. Difficult to photograph in the wind and through a fence but amazing.
There were also Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Marbled White, Red Admiral, golden Skippers, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. (Patrick Moore)

These are the rest of last night's moths by our Littlehampton balcony light. (Colin Knight)

On Thursday afternoon by Littlehampton golf course I found a tiny Orange-spot Piercer (Pammene aurana) on its foodplant, Hogweed umbellifer. Later in Houghton Forest I saw a female Large Skipper and a Riband Wave (Idaea aversata ab. remutata) in addition to Meadow Browns, Red Admirals, Silver-washed Fritillaries and Ringlets. Around midnight I had an amazing number of moth species round our balcony light: Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgate), Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha), Double Lobed (Apamea ophiogramma), Heart and Club (Agrotis clavis), Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata), Peppered Moth (Biston betularia), Poplar Grey (Acronicta megacephala), Short-cloaked Moth (Nola cucullatella), Riband Wave (Idaea aversata ab remutata) (Colin Knight http://www.colinknightimages.com/Nature-Photography-UK/Moths)

Yesterday: large numbers of Ringlets, Meadow Brown, Marbled White in flower meadow with few Small Skipper, one Silver-spotted Skipper, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 freshly hatched Comma, Gatekeepers (Mike Warren)

Pair of mating White -letter hairstreak butterflies outside the Flour Pot Bakery on Elm Grove, Brighton.
Picture to follow. (Margaret Huitson)