Subject: Spring buts - UK

From: Dave Chesmore <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 08:03:41 +000

My wife saw a Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) on 14 May in Holme
upon Spalding Moor, 20 miles east of York.

This is encouraging since our recent population explosion
disappeared last year.

I have also heard reports of more Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) in
the Hull area than previous years depite the cold weather.

Dave Chesmore
Dept. of Electronic Engineering
University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX
Tel: +482 465062;  Fax: +482 466664

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From: [email-masked] (Chris Raper)
Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 16:04:34 GMT

>This is encouraging since our recent population explosion

Hi Dave,

Isn't the Holly Blue population subject to massive, natural
fluctuations anyway? 

I think I read somewhere that it has an association with a parasitic
wasp and it is the rise and fall of each species which give the Holly
Blue such wide population changes each year. Is this true? 

Could 1996 be another boom-time for Holly Blue? I have certainly seen
more this year than last year.

Cheers
Chris R.

--
All views are my own and are not necessarily those of my employer.