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I went about it the easy way to try and get some Photographs of these magnificent Butterflies, I brought some eggs, from a butterfly farm, and reared the caterpillars in my garden, I brought a Sallow tree especially, which I covered in netting. The caterpillars while small hibernated naturally on the tree through the winter on a silk pad. Both the caterpillar and pupae are well camouflaged. The texture and appearance of the full-grown caterpillars reminded me of a hawk moth, and the large pupae disguised like a leaf.
I don’t know if I can sleeve caterpillars again in my garden, because of my neighbours damn wood burner in his house, the smoke killed off my Kentish Glory moths, not helped by him burning wooden crates soaked in chemicals, he is burning wood now, don’t yet know the effect on caterpillars on sleeves. Later I transferred the pupae to cages. When the first male butterfly hatched “His Majesty” as he is called. I was memorised by its large size and beautiful iridescent wings that shine blue or purple in the light, the female is brown. Now restricted to southern England, the butterflies spend most of there time in treetops, they feed on aphid honeydew, occasionally the butterflies, especially the males leave the woodland canopy, to feed on moist ground, for salts and minerals. Also carrion, animal droppings, and tree sap. Many observers lure the males with all sorts of pungent mixes, like Danish blue cheese, shrimp paste, even cat food, its certainly worth experimenting.
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