Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Nymphalinae |
| Genus: | Nymphalis |
| Species: | antiopa |
| Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Camberwell Beauty is a rare migrant to the British Isles, originating in Scandinavia and mainland Europe. In some years there is a relatively-large influx of individuals, as occurred in 1846, 1872, 1947, 1976, 1995 and 2006, where individuals were reported throughout the British Isles. Like many migrants, this butterfly does not maintain a sustainable breeding population here since mating only occurs after hibernation and those adults that do manage to overwinter successfully are so few in number that the chances of finding a mate is small. None of the immature stages has ever been found in the wild in the British Isles.
The Aurelian by Moses Harris, published in 1766, gives this butterfly the name "The Grand Surprize" or "Camberwell Beauty", based on 2 individuals that were caught in Cold Arbour Lane near Camberwell in 1748. In America, this butterfly is known as the Mourning Cloak. Although there have been sightings from many parts of the British Isles, most records are from eastern counties.
| #Individuals | #Tetrads | 2022 | 2023 | Abundance Trend | 2022 | 2023 | Distribution Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | N/A | 0 | 1 | N/A |
| #Records | #Individuals | Earliest Record | Latest Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Records | 42 | 43 | 09/03/2008 | 08/10/2010 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 24/6/2023 | 24/6/2023 |
| Location | Date | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earliest Record | Southampton | 24/6/2023 | 1 |
| Latest Record | Southampton | 24/6/2023 | 1 |
| Highest Count | Southampton | 24/6/2023 | 1 |
One of the issues with 'raw' trend data is that there is inherent bias based on the number of recorders. For example, the number of individuals and populated tetrads recorded are likely to increase if there is an increase in the number of recorders. In order to remove this bias, the normalised trends use data that has been recalculated using the average number of recorders over the trend period. This normalisation gives a much better picture of the true trends.
Average #Recorders: 0.84
Average #Recorders: 0.84