– this year has the first part of the summer been strongly affected by the amounts of tistelsommerfugl. Both in the lowlands and in the mountains, there are many who have seen this beautiful, slightly oransjebrune the butterfly, ” says Kaare Aagaard, emeritus from Archaeology (NTNU) in Trondheim, norway.
Now in the late summer also comes the admiral, with characteristic pattern of black, white and red.
Both of these species are butterflies that usually can’t survive the winter in Norway.
Sommerfuglstafett
A admiralsommerfugl sucks the sap of a plum on the ground.
Photo: K. Aagaard / NTNU
Birds fly certainly to the south in the autumn, and comes back to the Uk when the weather becomes warmer.
For the butterflies it may take many years and several generations, to reach all the way to Norway.
– At the butterflies, there is a sort of relay where subsequent generations are flying north and eventually south, ” says Aagaard.
These insects is surprisingly enduring, and fast.
– Powerful flygemuskler and a good “fitness level” is that they are widely used. Tistelsommerfuglen is the world’s most widespread butterfly and is found migrating all the way up to Svalbard, ” says Aagaard.
the Admiral is a typical høstgjest on the flowers in the gardens, but some of the admirals can possibly survive the winter.
– It also likes to suck nourishment from decaying plums, which is located in marka, explains sommerfugleksperten.
the Usually come only a few to Norway, but now occupies the country in droves. You need javascript to see the video.
the Usually come only a few to Norway, but now occupies the country in droves.
Have favorittblomster
Gardener Marianne Utengen has also noticed the butterflies.
– It is slightly unusual that there are so many. I think it is tistelsommerfuglen I have seen the most of, ” says the gardener from The Norwegian hageselskap.
Tistelsommerfuglen like nectar from many flowers, but it is the larvae of this butterfly that lives on thorns.
– the Larvae of tistelsommerfuglene survives only if it can graze on tistelplanter. So it is with many butterfly species. The larvae need food from specific plants, while the adults drink nectar where it is to find, ” she explains.
Now that autumn is approaching, there are many blooms that are finished with to flourish and has been brown. They have no longer anything to offer the butterflies. Therefore, you may see a lot of extra butterflies on the plants that still bloom.
Photo: Hanne Monica Berg Martinsen Help insects
Should you plant new flowers, it is nice if you choose plants that offer lots of pollen and nectar, and that they flower at different times.
– In the summer manage the butterflies and other insects quite well on their own, but spring and fall they need a little help from you with a garden or balcony, encourages the gardener.
in Particular, it is the spring and høstblomstrende plants that are important to focus on, such as crocuses and willow in spring, and purpursolhatt and storhjortetrøst in autumn.
– best is if you have plants that bloom throughout the season. Then you get what we call a pollinating garden that provides food for insects, points out Utengen.
Many music balkongkassene with the so-called sommerblomster. But it has been shown that perennials offer more food to the insects
Bladliljer and alunrot are two perennials with beautiful foliage. They can be in pots, is fine the whole season and have a lot of food for pollinating insects. In addition they come again next year. Better for both insects, the environment and the wallet, quit Utengen.
