Subject: first sighting

From: Bart Vanholder <[email-masked]>
Date: 2 May 1995 21:45:04 GMT

Hello,

In Belgium, Europe I cöordinate the study on Migrating Lepidoptera. Around this period we have our first migrants reaching our country. Did anybody see any migrants yet in Europe. Always interested.
Second: For 8 consecutive years we saw in Belgium overwintering Vanessa atalanta L. Is this also the case in other Northern /Western European countries ?
During the winter 1994 -1995 we had the prove for its overwintering in our climate. A female was seen on 11 th december and tagged. The same female was seen outside on 30 th december and again outside mid-januari.
She was found dead in februari. Normally V. atalanta is not able to overwinter in our climate. Send e-mail to [email-masked]

---

From: Patrick Roper <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 17:42:35 +0100

>Hello,
>
>In Belgium, Europe I cvordinate the study on Migrating Lepidoptera. Around this
>period we have our first migrants reaching our country. Did anybody see any
>migrants yet in Europe. Always interested.
>Second: For 8 consecutive years we saw in Belgium overwintering Vanessa
>atalanta L. Is this also the case in other Northern /Western European countries
>?
>During the winter 1994 -1995 we had the prove for its overwintering in our
>climate. A female was seen on 11 th december and tagged. The same female was
>seen outside on 30 th december and again outside mid-januari.
>She was found dead in februari. Normally V. atalanta is not able to overwinter
>in our climate. Send e-mail to [email-masked]

Dear Bart

We now get  many records of overwintering Vanessa atalanta here in UK,
though many think the adults are unable to breed in spring and the species
cannot therefore be classed as resident.

I suggest you contact Mike Tucker (by post, he is not on email) as he has
studied V. atalanta (the Red Admiral here) for many years and has a very
wide range of records.  This year he found larvae overwintering near the
south coast of England, something he had not seen or heard of before.

His address is Mike Tucker, Atalanta, 66 Kingswood Road, Tadworth, Surrey
KT20 5EQ.

Best wishes,

Patrick Roper
Editor: Butterfly Conservation News
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