Butterflies receive annual report and a Bonfire starts

Painted Jezebel, Delias hyparete

I photographed this butterfly in the 1980s in Bangkok near the Sukhumvit Road where our friends live. Good info here: http://www.samuibutterflies.com/insects/butterflies/pieridae/deliashyparetemetarete/ 

To  view  a  Slideshow,  click  here then  choose  Fullscreen  (top  right)

Yesterday started with ominous grey clouds and ended with a Bonfire parade and firework display. 

early morning - the bonfire was BIG

In between we attended the Sussex Branch of Butterfly Conservation's AGM near Lewes with David, a lepidopterist with a special interest in Clouded Yellows and Orange Tips. Following the AGM formalities from retiring chairman Neil Hulme, we were privileged to hear a talk by world-renowned Danish lepidopterist Torben B. Larsen who has studied the butterflies of Africa, Arabia and India and produced many guides and papers: http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Torben_B._Larsen 

This Indan journal gives an insight into this fascinating man: http://www.flutters.org/home/docs/issue4.pdf

While reading it I looked up a picture of each butterfly mentioned and to my amazement found the Common Jezebel Delias eucharis which occurs on the Indian subcontinent. This is similar to one I photographed in Bangkok in 1984. My one is the Painted Jezebel, Delias hyparete which occurs in Eastern India and Thailand (thanks to Torben who corrected my original id).

I have scanned the photo from a framed print which hung on my Mother's wall for many years as she appreciated the beauty of this butterfly. Torben Larsen describes the similar Common Jezebel as "one of the most beautiful butterflies I know".

Neil wraps up AGM business

Torben B. Larsen kicks off a fascinating talk

Africa and Arabia has been his butterfly playground

in 100 years  identified African butterfly species doubled to 4000+

Torben B. Larsen has written many articles for Aramco World, my former employer's prestigious bimonthly publication: The Painted Lady butterfly, Butterflies of Egypt, Blue butterflies of Arabia, The Milkweed Butterfly, Ant-lions, The Scarab beetle, Siwa Oasis, The River Nile, Fatehpur Sikri, Ghost town of India, The Arabian Alps

Michael Blencowe followed this with his usual entertaining talk about the 2011 butterfly and moth highlights in Sussex and I was pleased to see some of my photos included.
We were joined for supper by Jackie, Tom, Linda and Nick before the Littlehampton Bonfire Society celebrations. The parade was followed by the lighting of an enormous bonfire on the green and a superb firework display.

afternoon - the bonfire is ready

amusements are in full swing

Captain Jack

the bonfire gets going

at the end of the evening

it was still burning this morning when this was taken and at 3:30pm is still going