Butterflies are not just for summer
IT often feels like butterflies are synonymous with balmy summer days and we seem to spend our entire summer sharing our outdoor spaces with these lovely little insects.
But adult butterflies are often incredibly short lived, with most adults surviving as butterflies for no more than a couple of weeks.
Here in the UK we are lucky to share our nation with 56 different species of butterflies, although some only live in certain areas or in specific habitats so you may be unlikely to see them in your garden.
So, what are some of our butterfly old-timers, and which species represent more of a flash in the pan?
Peacock butterflies are one of our most common species, but a bit of a peculiarity (along with only the red admiral, small tortoiseshell, comma and brimstone) with the adults being seen on the wing on sunny days nearly all year round.
With the striking big blue ‘eye’ markings, echoing the peacock tail feathers that gave them their name, peacock butterflies even live over winter as adults.
However, it’s the dull colour of their underwings that help them to survive the winter.
They will find a sheltered spot and curl up with the dull colour outermost helping to camouflage them whilst they hibernate.
With the first warm weather, the peacock butterfly emerges, breeds and lays its eggs on the undersides of nettles, before around June or July these veterans of the butterfly world (at a whole 11 months) die, before the next generation emerges in August.
However, the adult lifespan of most butterflies is little more than a month.
For example, one of our garden regulars, the painted lady butterfly, only lives as an adult for around two weeks.
Some feat when they migrate to the UK from North Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe during the summer, which it does via several generations.
In fact, for many of our common butterflies that we believe that we see all summer, it is likely that although you may see the same individual a couple of times, the reason that you see them for any extended period of time is that the adults emerge successively, with some dying before others have even emerged.
One such species is the rare and special Manchester argus butterfly.
Missing from our region for nearly 150 years, the wildlife trust has recently reintroduced this butterfly onto Astley Moss near Salford.
Also known as the large heath butterfly, these amazing butterflies will be on the wing for no more than six weeks, but this will be made up of several emergences, as the butterflies tend to emerge, breed, lay eggs and then die all within a fortnight.
So next time you are admiring a butterfly flitting from flower to flower, take time to stop, watch, admire and appreciate it, as it may not be with us for long.