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Devon's Coleston Fishacre is an art deco country home run by the National Trust and the gardens that shroud the house offer an absolute haven for Painted Lady Butterflies. The location couldn't be any better - it's on the southern tip of the UK, right under the flight path of the Painted Lady as it hops over the English Channel from France. The gardens themselves are an opulent mix of exotic flowers and plants, bursting with sweet nectar - it's the perfect pitstop following a day and night of non-stop flight.
In our previous report entitled Butterfly Navigation, we discovered that Painted Ladies migrate incredible distances and navigate using the sun. At the start of the year, they can be found in north Africa and once temperatures increase they migrate northwards through Europe and up into the UK. Over the course of a single day and night, these butterflies can travel 650 miles - a long journey for such a small creature.
As a consequence of climate change, Painted Ladies are streaming into the UK in larger numbers. They come to breed and Butterfly Conservation want records of any Painted Lady behaviour but are especially keen to hear of any courtship behaviour. Males are very territorial and will guard a specific patch and once they find a suitable mate, they aggressively pursue it. If you are extremely lucky you might find two butterflies mating - luckier even than us at WOTM who have yet to witness this marvel.
To take part, migrate off to Butterfly Conservation's online map.
Further Reading:
Last report: How do Painted Ladies navigate?