Butterflies?

Merrion

I don't think I've seen any (or hardly any) butterflies this summer - certainly the little yellow chaps have totally disappeared from the forestry whereas there were loads about 5 years ago.

Are there butterflies at your garden this year?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

A few but nit too many. Plenty of ringlets, common blues etc earlier in the year but the weather had really been against them. An odd tortoise shell and red admiral but not much.

looksee

I've only seen the very occasional cabbage white. I hadn't realised till you mentioned it OP how few I have seen.

Harry Palmr

Yep, said the same thing to a couple of people, some cabbage whites but Tortoiseshell's very rare sight this summer.

www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=urticae

magicbastarder

the number of butterflies in our garden has definitely increased in the last few weeks - mainly common blues and whites, but some red admirals too.

we have a plant in our garden which is still just forming flowerbuds - a late flowering escallonia (i think) which when it flowers, is often covered in butterflies and emerging queen bees, as it's usually the only plant in flower in the area. it usually flowers in september, even into october i think.

jaffa20

Plenty of cabbage white butterflies/cattepillars in my garden. They devoured my nasturtiums.

NIMAN

I have a purple coloured bush out the back of the house and its covered with loads of butterflies daily, on hot sunny days.

Its like that every year too.

The bees seem to love it as well, but usually butterflies make up the majority of folk at it.

smacl

NIMAN wrote: »

I have a purple coloured bush out the back of the house and its covered with loads of butterflies daily, on hot sunny days.

Its like that every year too.

The bees seem to love it as well, but usually butterflies make up the majority of folk at it.

Possibly a Buddleia also commonly called the butterfly bush. A lot of people don't like them as they're a bit nondescript out of flowering season and need a big garden, but I've always liked them.

Lot of butterflies out cycling around Wicklow over the weekend, with quite a few Red Admirals. Haven't seen any Peacocks this year yet.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

NIMAN wrote: »

I have a purple coloured bush out the back of the house and its covered with loads of butterflies daily, on hot sunny days.

Its like that every year too.

The bees seem to love it as well, but usually butterflies make up the majority of folk at it.

I have several buddleia, sedum, scabious etc which usually attract large numbers of butterflies and in many species but not this year. Just hoards of bumblebees.

One_Of_Shanks

We've been absolutely plagued with cabbage whites for the past month. Non-stop. Driving me nuts. I have a lot of cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower growing so they were bound to "enjoy" my garden I guess.

Discodog

Item on Sky News now highlighting that this is an especially bad year. But numbers are down 70% from the 1970's.

magicbastarder

Jimena Better Adhesive wrote: »

I have several buddleia, sedum, scabious etc which usually attract large numbers of butterflies and in many species but not this year. Just hoards of bumblebees.

similar for us with the sedum over the weekend.

NIMAN

Just Googled it, and yeah it's a buddleia I have.

As I said, no shortage of butterflies with me this summer

SILVAMAN

Numbers significantly down this year, and bees almost non-existent this year and last.
West Clare

tommy2bad

Moths on the other hand have been plentiful but the butterfly is scarce. Not sure I'm that heartbroken, it's the first year I've not had to pull caterpillars off the cabbages.

macraignil

Think there have been fewer butterflies in my garden this year. Just a few red admiral and cabbage white. Plenty of bees and hover flies. Saw a couple of humming bird moths as well which I had not noticed before this summer.

Novaman

I have lots of buddleia too, there have been some red admirals and peacocks, though the numbers of small tortoiseshell butterflies are extremely small this year, I have only seen 1 the worst ever number.

It was reported this week that numbers were down because of the cold spring weather. I see the weather forecast is generally warm early this week, this should help a bit. My bumblebees are thriving though

Sneachta

Can anyone tell me the name of this butterfly?

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122286788#Comment_122286788

That's a Magpie Moth

Sneachta

Thanks

Shoog

Butterflies will wait to emerge until temps rise sufficiently and consistently for them to fly. Once the predicted heat wave comes in there will be absolutely loads of butterflies on the wing.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122286961#Comment_122286961

Butterflies don't primarily rely on high temperatures. There are plenty of Orange Tips, Common Blues, Tortoise Shells, and Large and Small Whites already on the wing and a few Ringlets appearing too. We had some Speckled Woods earlier in the year.

Shoog

None of the large butterflies will emerge without sustained high temps.

Sheedy234

Get some verbenas they love them .

Bellie1

Signed up for butterfly monitoring thingy this year and literally haven't seen one butterfly in the garden( and it's full of native pollinating plants etc). Saw one months ago but nothing since. Pretty depressing

Discodog

I was in a city garden, full of pollinators & not one single butterfly.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122370314#Comment_122370314

I was in my garden yesterday and had tortoiseshells, ringlets, and whites