Subject: Polygonia c-album in the North East of England

From: Ian John Waller <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 17:50:25 +0100

Over the last two decades there has been a northwards push
through England by certain species of butterflies. These include -
White-letter Hairstreak (Strymonidia w-album) never recorded till 1982.
Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)
Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
for myself it is the Comma (Polygonia c-album), that has given most
pleasure.
        It was fairly common in the North of England until about 1900.
>From  then until 1942 only one known sighting was seen, that being in
September 42, with a single specimen feeding on a flower (Devil's Bit
Scabious). The next reported sighting was not until July 1985 Hexham,
Northumberland. 
        From that point there has been at least one sighting each year,
ranging from Teeside to the Scottish borders (Kielder forest). A few
years ago Comma's successfully overwinted in a wood on the Durham coast
and bred in the spring, they are still going strong there. It is thought
it survived there because the climate is slightly milder on the coast.
Last autumn I myself was lucky enough to see two seperate individuals
one in Consett, Co. Durham & the other on moors near Hamsterley forest,
Co. Durham. I have now recieved details this week from John Hope that
two different Comma's have overwintered in a wood near Consett. (25
miles inland, on the fringe of the Pennines).
        It is generally thought in the U.K., that the Comma is at it's
extreme range at about Wakefield, Yorkshire. It is now time to redraw
that line through the middle of Durham and into Cumbria. I know
that on the west coast of England it overwinters around the Morecabe Bay
area.
        The North East is not a hot spot for butterflies so please
forgive my ramblings, but it has been stated "here in the north we get
excited about butterflies that other parts of the country would not".

References Dunn, T C & Parrack, J D 1986 The moths & butterflies of
Northumberland & Durham. The Northern Naturalists Union.
-- 
Ian John Waller