EARLY AND LATE
BUTTERFLY RECORDS


I would like to include in the new 'Butterflies of Suffolk' an 'all time' list of earliest and latest records for all Suffolk species. The provisional list below tends to be based on recent records but I have trawled through all files passed on to me when I became the County Recorder and have examined all past copies of the Transactions and White Admiral. A very few incredibly early records have not been included as being dubious, though I did take advice in each case. The preponderance of recent records is probably the consequence of climate changes, some recorders (including myself) actually going out early or late in the year to hopefully find individual species, and the increasing number of recorders - over 500 involved in the current Millennium Survey at the last count. I have included all available data I could discover for each record and they are in the order listed on the Survey sheet:

Small Skipper:

14.06.97

Tony Prichard and James Mann

West Stow TL 7973

 

25.09.95

Stella and Roger Wolfe

Stoke by Nayland TL 989362

Essex Skipper:

12.06.96

Andrew Toomey

Battisford TM 030550

 

01.09.98

Anne-Marie and Richard Stewart

Buss Creek, Southwold TM 497766

Large Skipper:

31.05.97

Peter Hamling

Near Offton TM056495

 

27.08.84

No name

Lakenheath no Grid Ref - described as ‘possible second brood’ more information would be appreciated as this was just the emergence date.

Dingy Skipper:

25.04.90

W. E. Lemmon

John O’Groats Ride, North Stow no Grid Ref

 

13.06.96

John Dolman

Chalk Lane TL 825753.

Swallowtail:

28.05.97

Mervyn Bell

Walberswick TM 488745

 

28.08.91

No recorder

Minsmere no Grid Ref.

Clouded Yellow:

27.04.97

Colin Hawes

Raydon Great Wood TM 051401

 

21.11.32

Mr Richardson

Flatford no Grid Ref

Brimstone:

15.01.95

Nigel Smart

Creeting St Mary TM 094558

 

15.11.95

Jeff Martin

Lineage Wood TL 8848

Large White:

18.03.95

Terry Hammond

Leiston TM 444628

 

01.11.59

D. C. Garrett

Aldringham no Grid Ref.

Small White:

10.03.90

Emma Parsons

Ipswich TM 1843

 

27.10.94

No recorder

Languard no Grid Ref.

Green-veined White:

16.03.90

No recorder

Minsmere no Grid Ref.

 

29.10.95

Nick Mason

Bawdsey Cliffs TM 338379

Orange Tip:

23.03.90

Mike Crewe

Sutton no Grid Ref.

 

20.07.95

Mrs Sindall

Wissett TM 367793

Green Hairstreak:

12.04.95

Rob Macklin

North Warren no Grid Ref.

 

20.07.96

R. Havard

Blackheath, Wenhaston TM 425746

Purple Hairstreak:

26.06.98

Neil Sherman

Ipswich Golf Course TM 2043

 

05.09.96

Nick Gibbons

Center Parc, Elveden TL 800800

White-letter Hairstreak:

08.07.96

Adrian Richards

Haughley TM 022617

 

22.08.97

Charlotte Anderson

Minsmere TM 454669

Small Copper:

07.04.90

Stan Dumican

Lakenheath Warren no Grid Ref.

 

16.11.94

Richard Stewart

Tangham TM 354474

Siver-studded Blue:

23.06.94

Michael and Jenny Kelsey

Dunwich Heath TM477677

 

17.08.78

Cliff Waller

Westleton Heath no Grid Ref.

Brown Argus:

04.05.97

Steve Goddard

Suffolk Water Park TM1148/1248 (several)

Common Blue:

24.04.92

Pat Shott

Near Hunston TL 976682

 

06.11.94

Steve Piotrowski

Fagbury TM 2734

Holly Blue:

18.03.90

Jennifer Hadley

Saxmundham no Grid Ref.

 

01.11.84

No recorder

Languard no Grid Ref.

White Admiral:

05.07.98

Glenn Rae

New Delight Walks TM 450720

 

01.09.51

H.J. Boreham

Sicklemere Road, Bury St Edmunds no Grid Ref.

Red Admiral:

07.01.98

Neil Sherman

Rushmere Road, Ipswich TM 191456

 

11.12.94

Rob Macklin

North Warren no Grid Ref.

Painted Lady:

20.02.90

Anthony Cook

Puddlebrook, near Ladygate Wood no Grid Ref.

Small Tortoiseshell:

09.01.98

Wilfrid George

Christchurch St., Ipswich TM 168451

 

28.12.97

Mrs J. Frost

Baylam TM1051

Peacock:

06.01.98

Bea and Fred Elliston

Alton Water TM 139372

 

06.01.98

John Warnes

Mutford Big Wood TM 485894

 

31.12.97

Peter Hobbs

Near Lavenham TL 913498

Comma:

15.01.95

Stan Dumican

Great Whelnetham TL 882602

 

02.11.95

Colin and Ann Hawes

Bentley TM 113368

Speckled Wood:

31.03.90

W. E. Lemmon

Icklingham Belt no Grid Ref.

 

03.11.95

Janis and Alan Hubbard

Fen Alder Carr,

   

Creeting St.Peter TM 0856

 

Wall Brown:

24.04.90

No recorder

Minsmere no Grid Ref. (two seen)

 

29.10.95

Nick Mason

Bawdsey TM 338379

Grayling:

03.07.94

Steve Goddard

Tangham TM 355485

 

21.09.98

Richard Stewart

Tangham TM 358479

Gatekeeper:

13.06.92

O.B. Parker

Pakenham-Manor Garth TL924676

 

21.09.95

Joan Moore

Nayland TL 967344

Meadow Brown:

27.05.95

Janis and Alan Hubbard

Frostenden TM 4880

 

16.09.84

No recorder

Languard no Grid Ref.

Ringlet:

14.06.97

Tony Prichard and James Mann

West Stow TL 7972

 

27.08.84

No Recorder

Brandon no Grid Ref.

Small Heath:

28.04.90

No Recorder

Cavenham no Grid Ref.

 

26.09.92

Rob Macklin

North Warren no Grid Ref.

Camberwell Beauty:

15.03.97

Steve Babbs

Groton Wood TL 978432

 

14.10.96

S. and R. Biddle

Searson’s Farm, Trimley TM 278358

Queen of Spain Fritillary:

06.08.95

Dave Fairhurst

Minsmere TM 462673

28.10.97

Rob Macklin

Thorpeness TM 4760

Obviously I would appreciate more details for some of these and any alterations in recorders or the fact that others were present. Some of the more 'ancient' records will not, of course, have a Grid Reference. I have made this a first draft and welcome, in writing only, any later or earlier records. Can I stress, however, that these must be submitted records, i.e. sent to the County Recorder, or published in a Society article. I am not prepared to consider records that were not forwarded previously. Please could I have any comments on the above by the 1st February 1999 and then I can hopefully publish a definite list.

Richard Stewart, County Recorder