Those contributing photographs and livestock to photograph for this website include (in alphabetical order):- Mick Ball, Andy and Mellisa Banthorpe, Helen Bantock, Tristan Bantock, Robin Barfoot, Paul Bergdahl, Mark Boddington, Jane Bowman, Peter Buchner, Patrick Clement, Jon Clifton, Steve Covey, Alan Dale, Tony Davis, Matthew Deans, Barry Dickerson, Alan Drewitt, Stuart Dunlop, Rob Edmunds (http://www.leafmines.co.uk), Peter Eeles, Willem Ellis, Glynne Evans, Alan Fairclough, Shane Farrell, Paul Fontaine, Reg Fry, Nick Greatorex-Davies, Dave Green, John Gregory, Lee Gregory, Brian Hancock, Karen and Sarah Hand, Steve Hatch, Bob Heckford, Barry Henwood, Les Hill, David Howdon, Tony Jacques, Martin Kennard, Paul Kitchener, John Langmaid, Roy Leverton, Chris Lewis, Chris Manley, Roy McCormick, Tony Moore, Stephen Palmer, Mark Parsons (http://butterfly-conservation.org), Trevor and Dilys Pendleton, Andrey Ponomarev, Anand Prasad, Tom Prescott, Tony Prichard, Nigel Richards, Stephen Rolls, Jenny Seawright, Angie Seymour, Neil Sherman, Fredrik Skeppstedt, Tom Sleep, Ben Smart, Ian Smith, Chris Steeman, Brian Stone, Malcolm Storey, Charlie Streets, Keith Tailby, Paul Talbot, Tom Tams, Ian Thirlwell, Jeroen Voogd, Oliver Wadsworth, Wendy Wilson, Dave Wilton, Steve Wullaert and Stephen Youngs (if I have missed anyone off please let me know!). To the best of the knowledge of the contributors all the images have been identified correctly. However with such a wide variety of shapes, forms and many similar species there is always scope for error - so accuracy cannot be guaranteed!
The sizes quoted for larvae are approximate because they are so difficult to measure and their length varies with the way they are resting. These measurements have been included, where available, so that the appearence of larvae found in the field can be compared with those of about the same size. Technical terms have been avoided as far as possible to make the site easy to read for all ages and experiences and larva has been used in preference to caterpillar to save space! The timescales quoted for larval stages are approximately the time between the first young caterpillars appearing from the earliest eggs laid to the fully grown caterpillars from the last eggs to be laid. The time periods and appearance of all these activities are obviously quite variable depending on weather conditions throughout the year.
Thousands of photographs are needed for this ambitious project, the aim being to illustrate each species with images of (A) The egg, (B) Young and final instar larvae - with pictures of intermediate stages where there are significant changes in the appearance, shape or markings of the larvae - also different colour forms, (C) The cocoon (if one is 'spun' above ground), (D) Examples of male and female pupae and (E) Examples of the adults. A separate section of the website contains close up photographs of various parts of a selection of pupae to aid species identification.
If you can help by providing photographs to fill in the gaps in stages or colour forms of those species already illustrated or any early stage of those species not listed so far, please contact Reg Fry by clicking on this e-mail address. PLEASE do not use this e-mail address for identification queries as I am unable to respond to them individually. Many of the caterpillars frequently seen in the UK are illustrated on the Life Cycle page of this website so have a look through this first and if this does not help try one of the Lepidoptera forums such as that listed on the home page. In the species lists I have added a ^ symbol to those species for which I can only find photographs of the adult.
What is the best way to help? I am able to scan in positive or negative film or prints so the loan of these would be very useful. Digital files are obviously the easiest way of sending photographs as e-mail attachments. If you have broadband I would prefer to receive jpeg files of the original photographs of any size up to say 3MB. This allows me the best scope to adapt the image to fit the website and show the insect off to the best advantage with others of the same species - if you want to work on the photographs yourself the frame size of images on the website is 740 pixels wide and final instar larvae are generally 450 pixels high. Don't worry if parts of a photograph are a bit out of focus or need other improvements - very few (if any) photographs of insects are perfect - I have had to improve every one of my own in one way or another!
Finally, if you have surplus livestock of any species that I could rear and photograph for the website,
that would also be much appreciated.
Reg Fry Dip.E.E., FRES