Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 40
110
The Small Copper ab. careuleopunctata Rühl in Suffolk, 2003 After my report on this aberration in Suffolk from 1983–2000 (Stewart, 2001) there was one record from 2001 and five from 2002, then a record number of eight in the memorable butterfly year of 2003. These were all single specimens from seven different sites: Date
Site
Grid
Recorder
6 July 2003 11 July 2003 17 August 2003 31 August 2003 2 September 2003 8 September 2003 26 September 2003 10 October 2003
Fynn Valley Rushmere Heath Cavenham Heath Leiston Common Rushmere Heath Ipswich garden Dunwich Heath Yoxford
TM2048 TM2044 TL7572 TM459636 TM206447 TM169461 TM475687 TM3868
Richard Stewart Richard Stewart Richard Stewart Alan and Beryl Johnson Stuart Gough Richard Stewart Brian Anderson Roger and Stella Wolfe
I am not aware of any research linking the number of aberrations with the abundance of butterflies, or any one species, in a given year, but note that since alerting Millennium Survey recorders to this aberration the years 1997– 2003 have produced 27 records of this aberration. This would suggest that ab. caeruleopunctata Rühl is more common in Suffolk than previously recognised, the previous lack of records possibly because the Small Copper can be identified accurately at a distance whereas the blue interneural spots on the hindwing are often indistinct and only visible at a very close range. Reference Stewart. R. G. (2001). The Small Copper ab. caeruleopunctata Rühl in Suffolk, 1983–2000. Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 37: 89–90. Richard Stewart ‘Valezina’, 112 Westerfield Road, Ipswich Suffolk. IP4 2XW
Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 40 (2004)