Brimstones
Above: Bumblebee by Colin Varndell
Sussex Life
Q: While my wife and I were sitting in our conservatory we spotted a yellow butterfly flitting about in the garden – could you possibly tell us which type we spotted?
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A: You have spotted a male brimstone butterfly. Brimstones are traditionally one of our first resident butterflies to appear and herald the start of spring. The males have very distinctive sulphur yellow colouring on their forewings, which make them easy to identify in flight. However the female of the species is a much paler green shade often bordering on white. Due to this paler colouring females can sometimes be mistaken for large whites whilst in flight. Both male and female have a characteristic central orange spot on their wing.
The brimstone butterfly lives in woodlands and gardens. It is one of the first butterflies to appear because adult brimstones hibernate during winter in evergreens – old ivy growth being a favourite. Brimstones wake from hibernation as soon as a warm day arrives and some have even been recorded as early as January. During March you can see them flitting through gardens in search of a mate. Once they have paired up, a long courtship follows prior to mating. Once mating has taken place the female will search out the undersides of buckthorn and alder leaves on which to lay her pale green eggs. Around ten day’s later tiny caterpillars hatch and feed hungrily on the surrounding leaves. These caterpillars then camouflage themselves until they are ready to emerge as adults in July. The favoured food source of the brimstone butterfly is nectar from plants such as knapweed, teasel and buddleia. These food sources allow them to build up energy reserves to enable hibernation.
Q:I have noticed large bumblebees flying low over the ground investigating holes at the back of my garden. What do you think they are up to?
A: All the fairly large bumblebees seen flying in early spring, are over wintered queens busy feeding and searching for nesting sites after their long hibernation. Some bumblebees nest in cavities underground, often taking over old rodent holes, while others choose to nest on the ground surface in rough grass or moss. The nest which tends to be no bigger than half a grapefruit is made from a waxy material produced by the bees from special wax-glands on their bodies, and the whole nest is usually covered and protected inside a ball of dead, finely shredded grass, moss, animal fur or similar material. In recent years the loss of large areas of suitable habitat has put the survival of the bumblebee under threat. As a result the suburban garden is fast becoming a haven for bees due to their floral diversity. By welcoming bumblebees into your garden they repay you by carrying out a vital service of pollination.
Click HERE to read the full article in the Sussex Life archives
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