Subject: Re: Cleopatra butterfly in Elstree

From: Dave Howson <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 19:24:40 +0100

At 02:18 PM 7/26/96 +0000, you wrote:
>I have just received a report from Jeanette Martin-O'Malley of a Cleopatra
>butterfly in her garden at Aldenham Country Park, Elstree, Herts., U.K. at this
>moment.  She has taken several photos, and the butterfly has been confirmed
by 2
>park rangers.  Although the possibility of an escape or a release cannot be
>ruled out, the present wave of migratory moths (Diamond-back, Silver Y and 5
>Rush Veneer in the trap this morning) suggests that a genuine migrant is quite
>possible.
>
>John Murray
>[email-masked]
>Marshalls Heath,
>Herts., U.K.
>
John,
Your report is fascinating.Let us hope the insect was not released.
Frohawk, in his book 'Varieties of British Butterflies' says that there is
an exceedingly rare form of the Brimstone, rhamni, which has the suffusion
of deep orange over the central portion of the forewings,'almost similar to
g.cleopatra'. There is an illustration of such an insect in the book, caught
in the Isle of Wight in August 1873, and it is stated that another was
taken many years ago in Aldburgh, Suffolk.  Which begs the question- were
these actually cleopatra immigrants?Do cleopatras migrate or travel long
distances? Does anyone know if tests have been carried out on any of the
British specimens marked in this way to decide which species they are? Could
you test your reported specimen-or can a photograph provide  conclusive
evidence? How can you distinguish between a male rhamni and a male cleopatra
apart from by the orange flush on the forewing?  Dave Howson>