Williamson's weekly nature notes - Nov 25 2009

Although the Queen of Spain, a member of the fritillary family, has been suspected of breeding for some time, breeding has now been proved.

This took place in October, on the outskirts of Chichester in West Sussex.

The location is secret because collectors may try to raid the small colony next year, should the insects survive the winter.

But it is along the edges of a set-aside field in a field of sweetcorn.

The Queens lay their eggs on field pansy or heartsease (Viola tricolor) which often grows along the edges of corn fields.

Normally this big bright orange butterfly lives in France, and may have been steadily increasing northward due to global warming.

A southerly air flow during the summer also brought into Britain uncountable clouds of painted lady butterflies from the North African Atlas Mountains where they breed.

QOSFs were thought to have bred in Suffolk at Minsmere in 1995-7.

They were first noted in this country two centuries ago in 1710.

Butterfly collectors took a specimen at Gamlingay in Suffolk.

The famous entomologist Petiver called it the lesser spotted fritillary.

Another name for it was given as the riga fritillary. Entomologist Moses Harris renamed it the Queen of Spain.

We do have several other members of the fritillary family breeding in Sussex, although in the past twenty years some of these species have declined alarmingly.

Commonest now is the silver-washed fritillary which breed in old, wide woodlands that have warm sunny glades.

The caterpillars of these feed on wood violets.

Pearl-bordered and small pearl-bordered frits are two more downland butterflies which are found in Sussex.

The dark green fritillary used to swarm across downland but has now become rare.

The high brown fritillary has now vanished from the county and is only found in special conservation areas of the south west of England.

The new arrival from France was actually seen in Sussex two years ago by farmer Brian Langmead who saw it in Kingley Vale.

This year it was seen by members of the Chichester and West Sussex Natural History Society who at first were baffled by the insect.

Members John Kelsall and Mike Perry consulted county lepidopterist Mike Pratt.

Together they tracked down several fresh males and one female.

Then Brian Henham of Chichester who took the photograph on this page, watched a male fly across the field to a female that he was watching next to him.

The butterflies coupled for twenty minutes on the ground at his feet and so breeding was proved.

Everyone now awaits the outcome next year as overwintering in a British winter might not be possible.