Vanessa atalanta migration

[Morten DD Hansen]

Hi all

In Denmark we are experiencing the strongest Red Admiral (Vanessa
atalanta) migration that I can recall. The spring immigration in June
was weak, but in early July a huge immigration reached Scandinavia from
the south, with observations of over 200 worn immigrants at one single
spot in southern Denmark!
    The offspring of these immigrations, i.e. the native Danish
population, has built up since early August, and observed numbers of
atalanta have increased steadily ever since. Migrations towards S
started around 5th September, with peaks in migratory intensity during
the period 8-11th September and again yesterday the 22th September. At
several inland localities, numbers of migrating Red Admirals per hour
over a 50 meter front have reached 40-50 individuals. At coastal sites
the numbers are - of course - even greater!
    The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), however, has been quite scarce.
The was a small emergence in early August and again in early September,
probably offspring of a small spring immigration.

Watch out for migrating butterflies!!!

kind regards
Morten DD Hansen, Århus

--
Morten DD Hansen, cand. scient.
Dept. of Zoology, Institute of Biological Sciences
Building 135, University of Aarhus
Universitetsparken, DK-8000 Aarhus C
Telephone: +45 8942 2695
e-mail: biomddh at biology.au.dk

homepage on migrating birds and butterflies:
DD's Birds and Butterflies - new edition!
http://www.biology.au.dk/~biomddh/