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Dr Marcus Rhodes

@marcusrhodes.bsky.social
3.3K followers 924 following 645 posts

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

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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 20h
Up to Bodmin Moor today for @bc-cornwall.bsky.social work party at Jordan. We were predominantly working on the hillside, coppicing Hazel and managing the Bracken for Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers using loppers and bow saws to fell small trees and shrubs around the edges of a Bracken-filled glade.Before: a small glade on a wooded hillside, filled with tall Bracken and surrounded by Oaks, Hazels, and the occasional Gorse bush.After: pathways have been cut through the Bracken, and the glade expanded through felling small trees and shrubs from around its edges.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
It certainly was!
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
A great turnout for the first @bc-cornwall.bsky.social work party of the season at United Downs Raceway today. Organised in partnership with United Downs Environment Group, we were removing Cotoneaster, Birch, and Sallow saplings from an area of heathland home to Silver-studded Blues.
Volunteers from Cornwall Butterfly Conservation, United Downs Environment Group, and United Downs Raceway using loppers to remove Cotoneaster and saplings from an area of sparsely-vegetated heathland.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The Isles of Scilly have their own endemic subspecies of Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria insula). A brilliant day trip out to St Mary's last Saturday, with superb views of Tuna, two pairs of Common Dolphins, a small group of Harbour Porpoises, and a lone Grey Phalarope on the crossings.
A Scilly Speckled Wood butterfly basking amongst leaf litter. This subspecies has brown wings with rich orange spots.A wooden rowing boat with oars, nets, and crab pots resting on the white sands of Porth Hellick: a small, horseshoe-shaped cove. The granite outcrop of Camel Rock lies on the far side of the cove, beneath the heathland of Porth Hellick Down.The white sands and azure waters of St Mary's harbour. Numerous small boats are moored on buoys, with the Scillonian III ferry docked on the quay at the far side of the bay.A pair of Scilly Speckled Wood butterflies mating on a leaf. The female has her wings open, whilst the male's wings are closed.
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Cornwall Butterfly Conservation @bc-cornwall.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
October marks the start of conservation season for Cornwall's butterflies! We have a packed programme of volunteer days on offer across our priority landscapes of Bodmin Moor and the Mining Districts around Redruth. Sign-up & get involved at volunteer.butterfly-conservation.org/opportunitie...
Conservation Work Parties 2026/27
United Downs Raceway - Sun 4th Oct, St Day, Redruth
Jordan - Sun 11th Oct, St Breward, Bodmin
West Basset Stamps - Thu 22nd Oct, Carnkie, Redruth
De Lank Outer Track – tbc, St Breward, Bodmin
Church Hay Down - Sat 7th Nov, St Breward, Bodmin
De Lank Outer Slope – tbc, St Breward, Bodmin
Carnon Valley - Thu 19th Nov, Devoran, Truro
Pendavy - Sun 29th Nov, St Breward, Bodmin
De Lank Inner Track – tbc, St Breward, Bodmin
Fellover - Sun 13th Dec, St Breward, Bodmin
United Mines - Fri 18th Dec, St Day, Redruth
United Mines - Thu 7th Jan   St Day, Redruth
Church Hay Down - Sat 16th Jan, St Breward, Bodmin
Wheal Maid - Tue 19th Jan, St Day, Redruth
Fellover - Sun 31st Jan, St Breward, Bodmin
Wheal Maid - Sat 6th Feb, St Day, Redruth
Cook's Kitchen Mine - Thu 11th Feb, Pool, Redruth
Fellover - Sun 21st Feb, St Breward, Bodmin
Poldice Mine - Sat 27th Feb, St Day, Redruth
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Cornwall Butterfly Conservation @bc-cornwall.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Have you checked out the new mural on Perranporth Library? Painted by street artist Mark Anthony, aka ATM, it depicts the Silver-studded Blue and Grizzled Skipper butterflies, both of which breed on nearby Gear Sands, along with their larval foodplants.
Street artist Mark Anthony (ATM) using a brush to paint a Silver-studded Blue butterfly on the library wall.Street artist Mark Anthony (ATM) painting the butterfly mural on the exterior wall of the library. The mural features two male Silver-studded Blue butterflies (one in flight, the other nectaring on Common Bird's-foot Trefoil), a Grizzled Skipper butterfly, and two children, set against a backdrop of sand dunes.Perranporth Library with street artist Mark Anthony (ATM) painting the butterfly mural on an exterior wall. The mural features two male Silver-studded Blue butterflies (one in flight, the other nectaring on Common Bird's-foot Trefoil), a Grizzled Skipper butterfly, and two children, set against a backdrop of sand dunes.
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Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
📣 New paper alert. Latest study by @mingrui-li.bsky.social as part of his PhD @uniexecec.bsky.social on the impact of public access to land on #CitizenScience butterfly recording. 🥾⛔️📋🦋 @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Modelling spatial deficits in citizen science recording: a case study from UK butterflies - Journal of Insect Conservation
Abstract Citizen science data are increasingly used to infer species distributions and monitor biodiversity at large spatial scales. However, recording effort is often uneven across space, potentially...
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Cornwall Butterfly Conservation @bc-cornwall.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Did you hear our Chair @marcusrhodes.bsky.social talking about the #BigButterflyCount results on BBC Radio Cornwall this morning? Catch-up on BBC Sounds (interview starts at 3hr:43min) www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
bbc.co.uk
BBC Sounds - Music. Radio. Podcasts
Listen without limits, with BBC Sounds. Catch the latest music tracks, discover binge-worthy podcasts, or listen to radio shows - all whenever you want.
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Cornwall Butterfly Conservation @bc-cornwall.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Our Chair @marcusrhodes.bsky.social will be on BBC Radio Cornwall tomorrow morning to discuss the results of the #BigButterflyCount. Listen in at 09:40am to hear how Cornwall's butterflies have fared this year.
A Gatekeeper butterfly perched on a Bracken frond with its wings closed. The underside of its hindwings are mottled brown. The forewing is orange with a black, double pupilled eyespot.
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Cornwall Butterfly Conservation @bc-cornwall.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
There have been several exciting reports of Queen of Spain Fritillary from across Cornwall in recent weeks. If you are lucky enough to see one of these rare visitors, please send us the record via iRecord or email records@cornwall-butterfly-conservation.org.uk
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Penwith Birder @penwithbirder.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Bit of a struggle walking to Cot but worth it for this Queen of Spain fritillary
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Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This year's #BigButterflyCount results show it was a very good summer for many of our widespread butterfly species. But how will the extreme heat and drought impact next year's populations? ☀️🦋 Dr Dan Hoare, Director of Nature Recovery, breaks down the results.
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Cornwall Butterfly Conservation @bc-cornwall.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Did you take part in the #BigButterflyCount this summer? The results are now in! Find out which species were this year's winners and losers. 🦋🦋🦋 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...
butterfly-conservation.org
Big Butterfly Count results 2026: Heatwaves help butterflies but could kill caterpillars
The results of Butterfly Conservation's 2026 Big Butterfly Count have revealed it was a great summer for butterflies, but what comes next could be dire.With the Met Office confirming it ‘increasingly ...
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Thanks Rowena!
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
There have been several sightings in Cornwall over the last few weeks: one was seen at the Eden Project and another at Kenidjack. It's definitely worth keeping an eye out!
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Having said that, I don't think you have DMs enabled.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
No problem. I'll DM you some more info.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Thrilled to find a Queen of Spain Fritillary in Cot Valley, St Just, this afternoon! My first encounter with this wonderful butterfly on British soil.
A Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly basking on asphalt. The upperside of its wings are orange with black spots.A side-on view of a Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly basking on asphalt. The upperside of its wings are orange with black spots.A Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly resting on asphalt with its wings partially closed. The underside of its wings are orange with large, pearly white spots.A Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly basking on asphalt. The upperside of its wings are orange with black spots.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Thanks Pieter, I think you're right! From what I've just been reading, the lack of pink pigmentation on the antennae, legs, head and thorax of this specimen is also indicative of f. cremonae.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Yes, the helice form only occurs in females.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I did wonder about that
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I did a double take with this Clouded Yellow at Penryn Campus this afternoon: noticeably much paler than the others it was flying with. It appears to be male, so not f. helice, but based on the bold, black wing margins, I'm pretty sure it's Colias croceus.
A Clouded Yellow butterfly sat on a patch of grass with its wings closed. The underside of its wings are yellow with a pale spot in the centre of the hindwing.An upperside shot of the Clouded Yellow in flight. Its wings are pale yellow, with a bold, black border to both the fore- and hindwings.An upperside shot of the Clouded Yellow in flight. Its wings are pale yellow, with a bold, black border to both the fore- and hindwings.An upperside shot of the Clouded Yellow in flight. Its wings are pale yellow, with a bold, black border to both the fore- and hindwings.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Thanks! I hope you find a pair.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Mating Clouded Yellows at Tater Du last Monday.
A pair of Clouded Yellow butterflies mating. One individual is perched on a dried seedhead, whilst the other is hanging from its partner by the claspers. The underside of their wings are bright yellow with a pale spot in the centre of each hindwing.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Interestingly, the female Clouded Yellow f. helice was getting very ardently courted by a couple of male Whites!
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The abandoned field system at Tater Du had an abundance of butterflies feeding on Fleabane, Hemp Agrimony and Purple Loosestrife. Lots of Clouded Yellows (including one f. helice), Whites and Common Blues, along with Small Coppers, Wall, Painted Ladies, Red Admirals and a single Small Tortoiseshell.
A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly feeding from the frothy pink flowers of Hemp Agrimony. Its wings are bright orange with black spots and a row of metallic blue spots around the outer edge.Tater Du Lighthouse: a small white tower on a grassy headland that gently slopes down to the sea.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Along the coast path from Mousehole to St Loy on Bank Holiday Monday.
A Clouded Yellow butterfly feeding from a yellow Fleabane flower. The underside of its wings are bright yellow with a pale spot in the centre of the hindwing.A Painted Lady butterfly basking on Bracken. Its wings are salmon pink, with black spots, and black & white tips.A Chough calling from a clifftop. It has black feathers with a bright red bill and legs.The sloping, granite sea cliffs of Boscawen, looking west towards Logan Rock.
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John Walters @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Highlight of a seawatch this afternoon at St Ives Island, Cornwall were 52 Ocean Sunfish Mola mola the most I have ever seen in one day and just shy of the record count for the site! www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDtw...
youtube.com
Ocean Sunfish Mola mola St Ives Island 29August2026edit long
YouTube video by John Walters
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UKBMS @ukbms.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Just published: UK and England butterfly population indicators using UKBMS data. These show a long-term decline in the all-species index in the UK of 18% and a 37% decline for habitat specialists in the UK. Check out the full statistics here ⬇️ www.gov.uk/government/s...
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Butterfly Conservation Norfolk @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Peacock caterpillars normal food plant is Common Nettle so one of our transect walkers was surprised to see them feeding on Marsh Thistle. Anyone else noticed this change of behavior? 📷️ Tessa Needham
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Charlotte Wright @charlottewright.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Delighted this huge team effort is out! By surveying >20,000 people from >100 countries, we used to butterflies to show that aesthetic biases distort scientific research & environmental policy. Understanding this bias is a key step towards more balanced decision-making 🦋 www.doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...
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Cornwall Butterfly Conservation @bc-cornwall.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
We're at Porthpean Community BioBlitz Festival this weekend! Join us for a butterfly walk on Saturday morning (10:30am-12:00pm). www.therockpoolproject.co.uk/community-bi...
Join us at the Community BioBlitz Festival 

A 24 hour celebration of coastal wildlife and recording

29th - 30th August

Porthpean Outdoor Education Centre
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Cornish Choughs 〓〓 @cornishchoughs.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Well done to our brilliant and resilient Cornish choughs - taking over Cornwall! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
RSPB reports record-breaking Cornish chough numbers
RSPB England says 161 Choughs have been counted - 32 more than the 129 recorded last year.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Brilliant to see this spotlight on Fal Rivers to Reef - one of the transformational projects that has emerged out of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Nature Recovery Strategy. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘Small changes can make a big difference’: how getting farmers, fishers and beavers together could save a Cornish river
A local initiative is testing simple ways to stop algal blooms in the River Fal threatening some of England’s most biodiverse marine habitats
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
It will mainly be a combination of scrub/sapling/Buddleia removal and the creation of scrapes to benefit Silver-studded Blues, Grayling, and Dingy Skippers.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
With autumn just around the corner, we are starting to think about habitat management again @bc-cornwall.bsky.social. A busy weekend of site visits around Camborne-Redruth and the Carnon Valley planning conservation work for our Jewels in the Cornish Mining Landscape project.
The upper tailings lagoon at Wheal Maid: a flat-bottomed valley, sparsely vegetated with heathland, and with engine houses on the slope opposite. The near slope (in the foreground) is an area of heathland that Cornwall Butterfly Conservation cleared of scrub last winter.The lower Carnon Valley: an open area of heathland, traversed by an arched viaduct.West Basset Stamps viewed from across the valley at Wheal Basset. The landscape is dotted with engine houses, mine stacks, and vanner houses, with Carn Brea Castle and the Basset Monument crowning the distant granite hilltop.Wheal Basset viewed from across the valley at West Basset Stamps. The landscape is dotted with engine houses, mine stacks, and vanner houses, with an expanse of moorland crowning the far hilltop.
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UK Butterflies @ukbutterflies.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Well done Naomi Addleton on finding a Holly Blue larva feeding on Erica cinerea (Bell Heather) in the New Forest. This is the first record of the use of this foodplant in the UK. Just look how pink the larva is - perfectly matching the plant! And a Lasius ant to boot!
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BirdGuides @birdguides.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Southern England has been treated to a record-breaking influx of Queen of Spain Fritillary in recent weeks, sparking discussion that the butterfly could become established in Britain:
f.mtr.cool
Record Queen of Spain Fritillary influx to England
Southern England has been treated to a record-breaking arrival of Queen of Spain Fritillary butterflies in recent weeks, sparking hopes that the species could become established in Britain.
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Mats Ittonen @matsittonen.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
New paper! Insects commonly time dormancy based on daylength, and responses to daylength have evolved in range-expanding populations facing novel daylength calendars. But how crucial is this for expanding species tracking climate niches? Maybe less than you’d think. (1/6) doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
doi.org
Fitness effects of local seasonal adaptation depend on the timing of reproduction in a range-expanding butterfly
Abstract. Local seasonal adaptation across latitudes is ubiquitous, but its fitness consequences are rarely estimated in the field. Using a common-garden f
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Three Small Tortoiseshells on my walk to the hide at Drift Reservoir yesterday. Sadly, my highest count of this once common butterfly in the last two years.
A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly feeding from the purple flowerhead of a Devil's-bit Scabious plant. Its wings are orange with black spots and a row of metallic blue spots around the outer edge.
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Emilie Ellis @e-ellis1.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
🦋 I’m recruiting a fully funded PhD student at the University of Helsinki: understanding how butterflies respond to climate change across Europe. Apply by 30 Sept: Full details: jobs.helsinki.fi/job-invite/5... Please share! #ecology #job #phd
jobs.helsinki.fi
Doctoral Researcher (PhD student) in Butterfly Ecology and Climate Change across Europe
Doctoral Researcher (PhD student) in Butterfly Ecology and Climate Change across Europe
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna hunting off Land's End yesterday.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Thanks Lynda, I hadn't!
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
In Britain, Peacocks are generally single brooded (although they will sometime produce a partial second brood). The decision to enter diapause is determined by day length. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
They will overwinter in a range of sheltered locations such as caves, animal burrows, outhouses, tree holes, and log piles.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Peacocks typically have one generation a year in Britain, with the adults entering diapause as soon as they've accumulated enough fat reserves. Further south (and increasingly at higher latitudes too), they will produce a second generation. The decision to enter diapause is determined by day length.
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Dark Bordered Beauty moth rediscovered in Northumberland after 70 years butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...
butterfly-conservation.org
Conservationist describes 'highlight of his career' rediscovering rare moth colony after 70 years
A Butterfly Conservation ecologist who has spent his life searching for a second colony of one of England's rarest moths has said it was the 'highlight of his career' when he achieved his dream.Dr Dav...
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
It may be hot outside, but for these Peacock butterflies, winter has already begun! Found in the entrance to an old mine at Cabilla Wood on Saturday, they will overwinter here until next spring.
Three Peacock butterflies roosting amongst roots protruding from the earthen roof of a tunnel. The underside of their wings are dark and mottled like dead leaves.Three Peacock butterflies roosting amongst roots protruding from the earthen roof of a tunnel. The underside of their wings are dark and mottled like dead leaves.
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Cornwall Butterfly Conservation @bc-cornwall.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
An exciting find at Penryn Campus today! This Large Tortoiseshell was spotted and filmed by @grahancock.bsky.social 🎥 George Hancock
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