Clouded Yellow survive UK winter

[Nick Bowles]

Recently MIke Tucker has shown the Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta capable of surviving the entire winter in the UK, both as an adult (as many suspected) and as larvae.  Last year 1997/8 Prof. John Wacher was able to provide evidence that a Painted LadyCynthia cardui widely regarded as far to sensitive to frost to survive, could in fact remain alive as an adult from late October until May, given benign conditions in the SW of England.
Now comes evidence that Clouded Yellow Colias croceus ova laid in November on England's southern coastal fringe not only grew throughout the winter pasing through all their stages until eventually pupating but have now emerged and laid ova of their own.  The initial observations were made by Michael Skelton who kept a close eye on the small colony of larvae and as word got around several others were able to confirm the sight of larvae feeding through the milder winter days and more recently of up to 8 individual adults flying about at the site.  The almost complete lack of other migrants so far this year helps to make their 'native' status claim more likely.  The only other Clouded Yellow record that I know of is from SW England today, certainly too far away for there to be a likelihood of this singleton being from the same source.  Possibly this individual is from another overwintering colony; perhaps not on the UK mainland but one of the milder southern islands like the Channel Isles or the Isles of Scilly; where frosts are almost never felt.

As in England all the migrant species are especially scarce in France and Spain (our presumed source of the great majority of adults recorded here in spring) so far this year.

Any other news of unusual sightings of species normally considered to 'soft' to live through our northern winters would be greatly appreciated.   

Conservation Officer  for  UTB\ Butterfly Conservation
94 Miswell Lane, Tring, Herts HP23 4EX   tel  01442 824 407
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