So many Large whites!

[naturegirl]

Has anyone else noticed huge numbers of Large whites in the last few days?

I counted at least 30 in my relatively small (18'x12') garden today and have resorted to covering my baby Sprout and Purple sprouting plants with old net curtains to prevent them laying eggs all over them!

They have decimated my summer Sprouting brassicas and my Nasturtiums are laden with eggs. I am tempted to uproot these as I don't want an army of these next year. This would be a shame as the Bumble bees adore the flowers. I will re-think this action.

These Large whites have been laying eggs on everything this year, something I've never seen before? Even my poor Stocks are suffering badly along with my cucumber leaves. I refuse to resort to toxic sprays though.

Naturegirl

[aeshna5]

Until about a fortnight ago they seemed incredibly scarce this year with justthe odd singleton seen. Now I'm seeing 1 or 2 a day, but nothing like you.

Large Whites are often migrants as well as being a resident species + given you can't be too far from the coast being in Kent, maybe this influx are migrants?

[wildmanofthewoods]

I noticed this earlier this week, Hundreds of them, lots of Gatekeepers, Ringlets, etc too.

I think that the cool Summer??? has held them back a few weeks from emerging, then a sudden hot spell and WHOOOOSSSHHHH

[djackso]

Originally Posted by naturegirl

These Large whites have been laying eggs on everything this year, something I've never seen before? Even my poor Stocks are suffering badly along with my cucumber leaves. I refuse to resort to toxic sprays though.

Well done you

[mrs fish]

Lots and lots of large whites here too , they like the Nastursians for laying their eggs on.

We go on holiday the same time every year and when we go the caterpillars are large and when we come back they have gone.

Do the caterpillars just drop down in the soil to pupate? I would like to know as I am trying to photograph the life cycle of them and have the pupua stage missing ??

[ron1863]

We have just started getting them too. Previous to the White's it was Ringlet up my way, thousands of them and very little else. Now it's Whites but where are the Red Admirals, Painted Lady's, Small Tortoiseshells and Comma's.

[Harry Eales]

Originally Posted by ron1863

We have just started getting them too. Previous to the White's it was Ringlet up my way, thousands of them and very little else. Now it's Whites but where are the Red Admirals, Painted Lady's, Small Tortoiseshells and Comma's.

Hello Ron,

Ringlets and Green-veined Whites are butterflies that like dampness and the Ringlet last year wasn't effected by the monsoon, it was over before last years Ringlets flew so they managed fine.

Red Admirals & Painted Ladies are migratory species (I know a very few succeed in overwintering here, but not, I think, in Scotland). In the last decade or so we have had very good numbers migrate here. This year just isn't suitable. Comma's (at least the Hutchinsoni variety) are out in Northumberland, but it's too early for either Peacocks or Small Tortoiseshells in Scotland. Last Autumn both species were scarce due to the weather in my part of England, we will just have to wait and see what their numbers are when they emerge this season.

Newcomers to Butterfly recording in the last twenty years have never had it so good. 50 years ago seeing a Red Admiral or a Painted Lady was an uncommon thing in Northern England, other migrants like Clouded Yellow were real rarities in the north, I didn't even see one specimen in my area until some 15 years ago, and I had by then been recording for 25 years.

Harry

[Dan Salter]

Ha ha go whiteys! munch away

I gave up on my garden allotment last year so i am allowed to say this ha ha

I have had butterfly 'days; for the last 2 weeks...i had a day with a garden full of commas...in the tens...
then a day of Peacocks.....
then the whites...
i now have a mixture of speckled wood, peacocks, whites, comma, red admiral, meadow brown and gatekeepers and holly blue!...and like everyone else they all just suddenly appeared in the last fortnight or so.

[naturegirl]

Smarty pants Dan!

Thank you djackso!

These Large whites have been laying egg clusters on the undersides and on the TOP of my nasturtiums too! Something I've not seen before.

I have never seen them laying eggs on cucumber leaves either?

It's almost as if they are desperate to lay eggs anywhere? Weird!

Mrs Fish, they pupate above ground. They will anchor themselves somewhere with a silk thread and just sort of 'hang there' and pupate! Look for caterpillars walking upwards! An unmistakable pupal case when you have seen one! As a 'general' rule: Butterflys pupate above ground and Moths pupate underground. There are always a few exceptions like the puss moth who pupates on the bole of a tree.

Naturegirl

[mrs fish]

Thank you naturegirl