Butteerflies And Wasps.

[Atheist]

I'm currently half-way down France in the country. Our Buddleia is full of butterflies, as is our grape vine. But not many wasps. Does anyone know if the lack of wasps enables butterfly survival? I've never seen so many butterflies and so few wasps. The butterflies seem to stand on a bunch of grapes and extend a thin thing which I presume is a grape-juice-sucking probe.

[burlyshirley]

I envy you. I have a massive buddleia bush and I have not seen one butterfly on it all summer, not even a cabbage white ! It was pretty much the same last year. All I have had are bees which I'm obviously glad about and I have seen the odd wasp, that's all.

I think the 'thin thing' is called a probiscus which all nectar drinking insects have (it's not spelt right) !

[AuntPG]

I have two buddleias one either side of a gap in the garden fence that leads to the veggie garden. I walked through at the weekend and a cloud of multi-colored butterflies lifted from them -there must have been 50 at least. Later I sat having a drink watching them come and go -some colours I'd not seen before, it was beautiful. Not seen many wasps, which is a bonus as far as I'm concerned, but plenty of honeybees as the farm up the road has three hives.

[burlyshirley]

A cloud of butterflies - not seen that for a long, long time here ! There are buddleia bushes everywhere I walk and again, not one butterfly (apart from a cabbage white one) I kid you not. I remember when I first planted my buddleia it attracted large peacock butterflies and they came back every day for several days, this was about 20 years ago, or more. There have been a sad lack of butterflies for a long time now in my neck of the woods, but glad to hear they are thriving in other places at least.

[vulcan42]

I have had both wasps and butterflies literally fighting on my buddleia and the butterflies seem to win. If one lands on a blossom that's occupied by a wasp it's the wasp that leaves. I've lost count of butterflies on the bush but at one time counted over twenty clinging to a wall basking in the sunshine.

[dannyk13]

I have planted wildflowers in a tub in an attempt to attract bees but,so far, I have only seen one butterfly and not one bee.

[AuntPG]

It would be interesting to see what parts of the country are lacking in Butterflies. I am in Teesdale, very rural and surrounded by heather moor that is all in flower at the moment so has maybe attracted more butterflies. There were the normal multi colored ones, but also ones that looked like Red Admirals but with the palest blue and white tails.

[vulcan42]

AuntPG, this might interest you. A nationwide butterfly count takes place each year and has just finished, the results aren't out yet.
https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

[AuntPG]

Vulcan very interesting, Thanks. Looking further into the link you posted I think the butterflies I saw with the pale blueish on the tail were Peacocks. l was also surprised how many butterflies were found in the Home Counties as compared more rural areas -must be suburban gardens attracting them rather than rural hedgerows.

[Ken4155]

Butterflies and wasps? I thought this was another of those, "What's for dinner?" threads :-))

[burlyshirley]

I am in the north west, Cheshire area and there have been a sad lack of butterflies here for a few years now. I usually see a fair few at the start of spring as it warms up and then nothing - they seem to disappear. A couple of years ago when the 10 year cycle of painted ladies came around, we were inundated with them and it was fabulous to see them everywhere in big numbers. Then after that, back to 'normal' again.

[Atheist]

Shirley; I haven't heard of a ten-year cycle of painted ladies (apart from my personal life). Can you tell me more?

[burlyshirley]

I'd never heard of it before either, but two summers ago people started talking about how the butterflies painted ladies will be back 'this year' and of course I asked about it and I was told that every ten years we are inundated with painted ladies. I was a bit sceptical, but lo and behold once summer started, they were everywhere, and I mean everywhere ! I even sat down on a low wall one day when out dog walking and within seconds a whole row of them appeared on the wall taking advantage of the sun. The buddleia bushes were full of them too. I must admit, I was quite disappointed by the appearance of the butterflies, having such a glamorous name, I thought they'd be stunning like the peacocks, but no, they are quite ordinary really, but it was lovely to see them everywhere anyway.