Nymphalis polychloros
Until very recently this species was described as an uncommon migrant, but in 2021 that all changed when there was confirmed breeding at an undisclosed location in East Sussex. This was the first confirmed successful breeding since 1948. Large Tortoiseshells have continued to breed in the same general location, every year since.
Quoting from the 2023 annual report: “Large Tortoiseshell rather kept under the radar, but it had what will probably prove to be a pivotal year. It is no longer just a migrant species in Sussex. Any sighting in March or April is likely to be an over-wintering individual, and for the whole of 2023 there were around twenty records, in at least ten different localities. It seems to be gradually colonising the Sussex countryside, almost by stealth, as small colonies are so difficult to find and study. One such study involved the Ouse Valley, where Dave Harris and others searched in the spring for the presence of adults, and then a couple of months later, repeated the search for their larval webs. A total of 9 adults were found in early April. Subsequently, four webs were found in different locations, with three webs on English Elm and two webs on a Bullace. Six adults were recorded in the summer, with the first one seen on June 25th”.
Only time will tell whether or not this species is indeed re-colonising the Sussex countryside.
As the statement above confirms, this species can be found in the Ouse Valley. There have been recent records in a number of our major woods and no doubt breeding has taken place in some of those locations. Quite understandably, precise details may not always be revealed, for fear of disturbance.
Large Tortoiseshell at rest – photo by Matt Simmonds
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Resting on the ground – photo by Neil Hulme
An older individual – photo by Bob Eade
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Nectaring on Plum Cherry – photo by Dave Palmer
Nectaring on Bramble blossom – photo by Bob Eade
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With closed wings – photo by Bob Eade
Butterfly Conservation Large Tortoiseshell
