Pearl Bordered Fritillaries

jcurtis · #1 (**permalink**) 03-03-2011, 08:24 PM

Hi,
One of my summer projects this year is to photograph Pearl Bordered Fritillaries and Orange Tips (Roosting). I know where they will be-ish, but its finding them when roosting in the early morning. Can anyone give me any tips please?

Tobyh · #2 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011, 11:13 AM

Can't help you here I'm afraid but think that maybe this post would get more responses being in either the photogrpahy or Insects>Butterflies areas.

Perhaps a mod will move it for you.

TobyH

Harry Eales · #3 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 01:14 PM

Hello JCurtis,

Orange tips usually overnight on the flower heads of their larval foodplant where the broken white and green colour of their rear underwings provide excellent camouflage.

Pearl-bordered Frits and their congener Small Peaerl-bordered Frits overnight deep down at the bases of dense drifts of rush amongst which their larval foodplant V. palustris or V.riviniana grows.

They seldom appear before the air temperature is suitable for flight. That makes them very difficult to find and I wouldn't recommend you try searching for them as you will tread underfoot many a square year of habitat and probably crush a number of them or their pupae.

Regards,

Harry

Dorts · #4 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 01:39 PM

I have a good, if small, population of Small Pearl-bordered F's in the bog below the house, (plenty of Viola palustris). So far no sign of them and now it has turned cold and windy, I fear that's how it will stay for a while.

Dorts.

Harry Eales · #5 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 05:41 PM

Dorts,

You looking for them far too early, May is the time for Pearl-bordered Frits. Small Pearl-bordered start to come out when the first species is just about over. Try looking for SP-bFrits in mid June.

Harry

Dorts · #6 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry Eales

Dorts,

You looking for them far too early, May is the time for Pearl-bordered Frits. Small Pearl-bordered start to come out when the first species is just about over. Try looking for SP-bFrits in mid June.
Harry

Thanks Harry, I lose track of time, with everything in the plant world seemingly much earlier year-on-year.
I'll let you now when the first ones appear.
Dorts.

ChrissyMarie · #7 (**permalink**) 20-05-2011, 09:07 AM

Hi I photographed pearl bordered, small pearl bordered and wood whites in "the forest" last weekend. I only saw one pearl bordered though and it was fresh. Some things (not all), seem to be about two weeks early locally. I just watched which flowers they were nectaring on and quite surprisingly none of them seemed to pose a problem getting quite close with the macro..... . I can't say the same for Orange Tips

jcurtis · #8 (**permalink**) 13-07-2011, 10:45 AM

Thank you to all those who offered their advice. Over the summer so far I have managed some success, I say some as I didn't get to photograph any Orange Tips

. However I did manage to photograph some Pearl Bordered Fritillaries. I have posted a few of the photos on my website, please feel free to take a look a leave a comment in the guestbook if you wish too.

Thanks
Jason