Day 262 - Regal Ringlets

1. A tattered Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)

at Nosterfield.

Hey everyone today's Day 262 and as you will all know, I like to go to Silton Forest. It's a great place for wildlife and I see a lot of fabulous things there. I also go to a lovely place called Nosterfield Nature Reserve, run by a small charity called LUCT. Both of these places host a huge amount of nature such as flowers and birds but they also are places for Butterflies such as the Ringlet to live in. These are the most lovely little butterflies which at first I got confused with the Chimney Sweeper Moth because of the white outline, there were dozens of them so there were obviously plants there they liked. The difference in the butterflies in the pictures puzzled me for a while, I thought one might be another species, but I found out they were all the same one and I'll tell you why in my facts.

So, here they are:

• The Males has a rather mediocre wingspan of 42mm - 48mm while the Female just beats this (as in most Butterflies) with a healthy wingspan of 46mm - 52mm.

• Three examples of the Butterfly that I saw all looked different. I have numbered the photos so you will see which ones are which.

2. One in better condition  at Silton Forest

1. This one was all tattered. It looked like it was old and had lost his wing on something. Possibly a fight or maybe it was just caught on a stick or something like that.
2. This one looked like it was wasn't as old and was in pretty good condition, you could see the rings on it quite well.
3. This one looked very newly emerged. It was slightly glossy and wet, making it look nice and shiny. It had a White outline on it and looked much like a Chimney Sweeper.

• They are extremely common in England, Scotland and Wales. The population map that I saw was completely filled! In Ireland they can be found in the North.

• They are occasionally found in April until June and in September until October, but they peak in early July and then start decline again.

3. A young Ringlet at Nosterfield not far away from the first one.

• They live in grassy areas, moist or dry forest clearings without bushes, but they aren't found in open places.

• The Adults feed on Nectar (of course) from Brambles and Thistles which are their favourite, and the larvae eat a variety of Grasses such as Cock's foot and and Tufted-Hair Grass.

• Adults have a gorgeous velvety appearance. On their under wings they have tiny circles (which gives them their name) and these can vary from white-ish circles which can be round or elongated or tear-drop shaped, to tiny white dots.

• Males and females look very similar, although the males have special "scent scales" on their forewings and typically patrol hedgerows in two looking for mates.  Females, once they have mated, will eject their eggs randomly into the air which then lands (hopefully!) on vegetation.

Here are some links to some more information:

UK Butterflies - Ringlets

British Butterflies - Ringlets

Butterfly Conservation - Ringlets

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.