Along the Woodland Edge in Early Spring

 The weather during April was lovely, with plenty of sunshine but May seems to have become our month for blustery showers and occasional sunshine.

Orange-tips and Holly Blues have been abundant in the Weald of East Sussex and by the last week of April, bluebells were in full bloom, providing nectar for any passing butterfly.

I saw my first Pearl-bordered Fritillary on 28th April as well as an obvious landfall of Painted Ladies, primary migrants from across the channel. 

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

(males)

(female)

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)

(male)

(female)

Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne)

(female)

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Large White (Pieris brassicae)

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)

(female)

Green-veined White (Pieris napi)

(female)

Speckled Yellow Moth (Pseudopanthera macularia)

Pierids in Sussex

 The white and yellow butterflies in Britain all belong to the Pieridae family. 

Of those species that occur in Sussex, most are common and widespread and found in a range of habitats.

 However, one is a rare resident, only to be found in a few small colonies in the north-west of the county.

Wood White (Leptidea sinapis)

This species is our rarest Pierid in the county and only occurs in a few areas in north-west Sussex.

(males)

(females)

(courtship)

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus)

This species is a migrant to Britain, occurring annually in varying numbers. Some years it can arrive in huge numbers and produce summer and autumn broods. In other years it can be a rare sight.

(female)

(female, form helice)

This pale form accounts for about 10% of the female population.

(male)

(mating)

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)

The Brimstone hibernates as an adult butterfly and is one of our first species to be seen on the wing during late winter and early spring sunshine.

(males)

(female)

(mating)

Large White (Pieris brassicae)

This is a common and widespread species. Together with the next species, it can cause serious damage to garden cabbage crops.

(females)

(male)

(mating)

Small White (Pieris rapae)

This common and widespread butterfly is also a cabbage crop pest.

(females)

(male)

(mating)

Green-veined White (Pieris napi)

This cousin of the previous two species is certainly not a garden pest. It is more akin to the next species in its choice of habitat, preferring to wander along field margins, verges and woodland edges, looking for foodplants such as garlic mustard and lady's smock.

(males)

(females)

(mating)

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

This pretty little butterfly is a true harbinger of spring, emerging from its overwintering pupa from late March to late May.

(males)

(females)

(mating)

Orange-tip Courtship and Mating

 Courtship in some butterfly species is impressive to watch such as the amazing courtship flights of the Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia). However, in most species, courtship is a brief affair and consists mainly of mesmerising wing flapping and wafting of pheromones by the male towards the female.

Earlier this week, I was walking beside a roadside verge lush with prolific garlic mustard growth and there were several Orange-tip males on patrol. When I happened upon a very fresh female nectaring on the flower heads, she was very quickly found by one of the males.

Courtship to mating took no longer than 30 seconds and the following sequence of images illustrate the event.

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

Courtship and mating.

Green-veined White (Pieris napi) (female)

A few days earlier in the same location, this female napi was resting between bouts of egg laying.

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)

Whilst photographing the mating Orange-tips, this rubi settled nearby and provided an irresistible diversion.

Bluebells in a Wealden wood.