@marcusrhodes
Ecologist in pursuit of butterflies. Postdoc at the University of Exeter, Cornwall working on nature recovery and species' responses to climate change. Chair of Cornwall Butterfly Conservation. He/Him
An Small Tortoiseshell butterfly with orange wings spotted with black and yellow patches, nectaring from a bright yellow Dandelion flower.
My first Small Tortoiseshell of the year and a Peacock on today's wander around the hinterlands of Helston.
Join us for the UK Butterfly Recorders Meeting!
This free event is perfect for butterfly enthusiasts, taking place online on Sat 28th March. Discover the 2025 UKBMS findings and enjoy insights from leading butterfly experts.
Reserve your free spot now!
butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/...
Another Dorset Large Tortoiseshell, this time at Hengistbury Head www.dorsetbutterflies.com/2026/03/larg...
After working at Dungeness ,seemed a shame not to nip into Orlestone.......as I was passing,on the way home .Arrived at half past three ,and back in the car by four, still lucky enough to see two Large Torts .Heres those two plus one from a couple of days back .
π£ New paper π Proud to have helped with this nice study by @wlangdon12.bsky.social showing a trade-off between nutritional quality & microclimate of host plants for Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas). Here in England, they choose warmth over nutrition resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
I'm sure the wait won't be long now!
Yay! There's a Chiffchaff singing outside my bedroom window.
Photo of the Large Tortoiseshell seen yesterday at Ballard Down by Shona Refoy. An exciting spot after one seen at Baiter in Poole a few days ago. Please report any other sightings on our website or here
Painted lady at Porthgwarra this morning... @migrantmothuk.bsky.social
I thought it was just a battered Small Tortoiseshell on a muddy patchβ¦ but something wasnβt quite right. Then it clickedβit was far too big! My first-ever Large Tortoiseshell, emerging in the sun after months of Cornish rain. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation Open Day Saturday 14th March 10am-4pm All welcome St Erme Community Centre, Castle Field, Trispen, Truro TR4 9BD - Free entry - Informative talks - Learn about our local butterflies - Wildlife stalls - Cakes and drinks - BYO lunch - Donations welcome
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation's Open Day is next week!
We have some great speakers lined up for the day including @richardfoxbc.bsky.social on climate change, Adrian Spalding discussing Sandhill Rustics & Lesley Strong talking about the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site.
Hope to see you there!
A Peacock butterfly with red wings and iridescent eyespots basking amongst ground vegetation.
The sun has struggled to burn through the fog today, but a few bright spells around lunchtime brought out a couple of Peacocks around Penryn Campus.
Well spotted Andrew! What a great find.
A Comma butterfly basking on a fallen Oak leaf. Its ragged-edged wings are bright orange with black spots.
A Peacock butterfly basking on the ground. Each of its red wings has an iridescent eyespot.
A carpet of yellow Primroses fringing the avenue of Lime trees at Penryn Campus.
Yay! My first Commas of the year and a pair of sparring Peacocks on my wander around Penryn Campus this afternoon.
Spring is slowly creeping back to the northern hemisphere!
An aggregation of black, spiny Marsh Fritillary caterpillars basking communally on a patch of turf.
An aggregation of Marsh Fritillary caterpillars basking on a fallen leaf.
Four clusters of Marsh Fritillary caterpillars basking communally adjacent to a Molinia tussock.
Marsh Fritillary caterpillars have emerged from winter diapause and were communally basking in the sunshine at Church Hay Down today.
FIRST REPORT: Green-veined White. 24th Feb. East London
@richardfoxbc.bsky.social
FIRST REPORT: Holly Blue, 25th Feb '26. East London
@richardfoxbc.bsky.social
FIRST REPORT: Speckled Wood. 25th Feb '26. Essex
@richardfoxbc.bsky.social
The farmers fighting to save the Duke of Burgundy butterfly www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers clearing Buddleia from around a mine engine house.
Before: Buddleia, Sallow and Bramble encroaching into sparsely vegetated, short grassland surrounding a mine engine house.
After: Buddleia, Sallow and Bramble have been cleared from around the engine house to expand the area of grassland.
Last Monday was Cornwall Butterfly Conservation's final work party of the winter. We were clearing Buddleia and scrub at Cook's Kitchen (South Crofty Mine) to restore habitat for Dingy Skipper. This active mine is currently the only confirmed site for Dingy Skipper within the Camborne-Redruth area.
Now online! In this review, we cover four major topics on butterflies and moths: their evolutionary history and diversification dynamics, genomics, global diversity patterns, and conservation π¦π (1/8) @natrevbiodiv.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
This is becoming a pervasive issue, for example involving the sidelining of actual experts and the heaping of pressure on regulatory bodies to move forward with dubious (re)introductions. A quick ecology 101 for βconservation gurusβ. Thread ππ¦π¦πͺΆπ¦¬π§ͺ1/
At long last the weather is improving this weekend. So if you want to get outdoors its a great opportunity to join one of our Duke of Burgundy Work Parties and help save the Dukes Please do come and help.
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers removing scrub and saplings from an area of heathland with the Carnon Valley Viaduct in the background.
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers were working with the Environment Agency in the Carnon Valley today. We were cutting back Gorse and using tree poppers to remove Birch saplings as part of heathland restoration for Grayling. The site has also supported Silver-studded Blues in the past.
Come and Join Us!
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers planting Violets in rain and fog on a Bracken-covered hillside with scattered Oak trees.
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers stood huddled in the rain on a Bracken-covered slope, discussing the planting plan for Violets.
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers planting Violets along a mown path through the Bracken and scattered Oak trees.
Trays of Common Dog Violet plug plants next to a patch of Violets planted amongst Bracken litter.
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers had a rather sodden time of it on Bodmin Moor today. We were planting Common Dog Violets to increase the breeding habitat along a new corridor connecting two colonies of Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. At least they've had a good watering in!
Tadpoles in the flooded trackways on Goonhilly Downs this afternoon (likely laid as spawn back in November).
The Map butterfly differs in wing size and color between seasons. We tested how these differences influence body temperature dynamics, revealing potentially optimized thermal performance between seasons. π¦βοΈ
The study, led by Dani and IrΔa, is in preprint version: doi.org/10.64898/202...
Two flowers of Three-lobed Crowfoot emerging from a puddle. Each tiny flower has five white petals, a yellow centre, and is held singly above the surface on a stem.
A mat of Three-lobed Crowfoot floating on the surface of a puddle. Each leaf is sub-divided into three lobes, with each lobe in turn further sub-divided in three. Tiny, white flowers are held singly above the water surface on stems.
A mat of Three-lobed Crowfoot floating on the surface of a puddle. Each leaf is sub-divided into three lobes, with each lobe in turn further sub-divided in three. Tiny, white flowers are held singly above the water surface on stems.
Three-lobed Crowfoot is at peak flowering just now in the Mediterranean temporary ponds on the Lizard Heaths. #WildflowerHour
