White Admiral Watch
48 images Created 16 Feb 2021
The White Admiral (Limenitis camilla) is a large woodland butterfly which glides effortlessly along forest rides. Its numbers have recovered in recent decades, possibly due to the cessation of coppicing, which has benefited this species since it requires Honeysuckle growing in shady woodland for its larvae. In Sussex I followed one spectacular final instar larva through pupation to emergence. The next generation were recorded from eggs, through larval development, to construction of winter hibernacula. Attack and parasitisation by wasps was also observed.