I was charging about like a nutter photographing Clouded Yellow butterflies - a beautiful summer visitor. Lots of blurry yellow blobs and a couple of decent shots - including the light coloured one above. Did I happen to photograph a very rare Pale Clouded Yellow?
I was on well known butterfly hotspot; Hutchinson's Bank in Croydon - and it's got form for them - one was confirmed there in 1976! It's probably not, but I've sent the photos over to those in the know and I'm waiting to hear back! Normal one below for comparison.
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I haven't seen many clouded yellows in recent years Brian, but I recall a clouded yellow year when they were thick on the ground. I hope your Pale CY is confirmed, it'll make all that running about justified. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI can’t remember ever seeing them before I started photographing them - I must have!
DeleteI saw one last year and six so far this year - very hard to get a photo - they don’t seem to land often.
I’m waiting for a Clouded Yellow or a Painted Lady year, love to see them on mass.
And yeah, hope it’s a Pale Clouded Yellow, still waiting to hear back…
“It’s unlikely to be anything other than one of the helice forms of Clouded Yellow. It is probably the primrose yellow helecina form of helice. I hardly dare use the word "pale", as the Pale Clouded Yellow is now one of the three or four rarest species in Britain.”
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“There have been very few sightings of Pale or Bergers on our shores this century if any!”
TB
So it’s (probably) a Clouded Yellow, primrose yellow helecina form of helice (female). Not a Pale Clouded Yellow, still a pretty good find!
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