Yellow butterflies make most of season

CLOUDED YELLOWS Every butterfly season is different and is dictated mainly by the weather. So this summer, apart from the large numbers of small tortoiseshells, another butterfly which has been seen in small numbers right across the South East has been the clouded yellow. Clouded yellow butterflies are about the size of a ‘cabbage white’ but are a deep orangey yellow with two neat white spots on the underwing. When they land they always close their wings. In flight you might be able to see the black border of the upperwing as well as they fly quite strongly past you. Sometimes a female form of the clouded yellow is a pale yellow colouration, but these are uncommon. Clouded yellows lay their eggs on clovers and legumes and can