Queen of Spain Fritillary seen in the copse - 15 September 2008

Report by Mike Perry

Wandered through Brandy Hole Copse today - hoping to see some butterfles. Only saw one - but what a butterfly! A Queen of Spain Fritillary resting on a fleabane flower. A migrant, the QoS is a real rarity - a preliminary check of Sussex records suggests it was last seen here in 1969 so it's a bit special.

One up to Brandy Hole - knocks all those Silver-washed Fritillaries into a cocked hat!

Images of Brandy Hole's very own Queen of Spain Fritillary.

The Copse never ceases to amaze me!

The County Lepidopterist Colin Pratt has now confirmed the identification. He also says that no Queen of Spain was found in Sussex from 1969 to 2007 when one was found in Storrington and there were two unconfirmed reports from Kingley Vale. If numbers are increasing we may not have to wait 50 years to see the next one!