The warm weather has pushed a very special summer migrant butterfly to Somerset. Large numbers of Clouded Yellow butterflies have arrived at Greylake during August. They are enjoying the nectar from our wild flower crop that was sown earlier in summer. This butterfly is an annual migrant to Britain, with ‘Clouded Yellow summers’ occurring often in summers with significant heat waves, which seem to be every ten years or so.
Photo: Nick Edge
Its deep golden yellow is bordered with a black edge when the wings are open. When closed, the wings are deep yellow. The underwing has a tiny white spot, next to a large white spot, each bordered with a thin pinkish red double circle. Clouded Yellows are fast fliers and let’s face it they need to be to cross the English Channel to get here!
They particularly like nectaring on clover, and will lay their eggs on clover, lucerne and bird’s foot trefoil. Eggs laid now would potentially produce adult butterflies by mid September, as this butterfly has a very fast breeding cycle. The adults that emerge, will migrate south of Britain, as they don’t favour our cold, wet winters! So look out for more clouds of gold at Greylake this September before they head south!
Becky Thorpe, Assistant Warden, West Sedgemoor, Swell Wood and Greylake Reserves.