Post by nomad on Apr 4, 2015 5:55:33 GMT
Melanic Papilio machaon
The extreme wild and bred Papilio machaon aberratons niger (Heyne 1895) and obscura (Frohawk 1938 are one of the great rarities of the butterfly world. Specimens of ab niger are defined as ; Wings black, markings only faintly discernible.
Such is their rarity, that once again fraud has reared its ugly head, with a number of artificially coloured specimens that have been sold in the past as the extreme ab niger. Recently, a number of European melanic aberrations of Papilio machaon have appeared on the market, that have been produced by artificially injecting the pupae with chemicals . Having viewed a number of these man made aberrations, they do not resemble the true ab niger or ab obscura and some of the yellow markings are clearly visible on the wings.
I do not know the whereabouts of the type aberration of Papilio machaon aberration niger Heyne 1895. Anyone else know!! I believe this aberration was described by Alexander Heyne ( 1869-1927) of Berlin, Germany. The Heynes family where natural history dealers and book publishers. Heynes probably described aberration niger from a specimen caught or bred in Germany and this specimen may survive in one of the country's museums?
aberration obscura (Frohawk 1938).
This aberration was published in Frohawks ' Varieties of British Butterflies ' 1938 p146 figure 2. Frohawks painting is from a L.W. Newman bred specimen . ab obscura was defined as being ; ground colour dull brown with normal black markings still quite apparent. A small series was bred by L.W. Newman .
The Specimens in the British Museum of Natural History.
There is a superb series of black Papilio Machaon brittanicus in the collection of the British Museum of Natural History , there are 15 magnificent specimens and they make are impressive when viewed. Most of the series are from L.W. Newmans breeding cages. Newmans historic black melanic specimens were acquired by various wealthy collectors, who left their collections to the British Museum and now they have come together in a spectacular cabinet drawer.
Due to strict copyright, it is impossible to show the actual images of specimens here that are in the BMNH collections but they can be viewed at these links .
Below. A link to three specimens of ab niger (Heyne 1896). One is a male caught by the well known English collector S.G. Castle Russell at Horning in the Norfolk Broads, on the 8th May 1927. The others shown here are two males and a female bred by L.W. Newman during 1931.
www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/scientific-resources/biodiversity/uk-biodiversity/cockayne/database/taxon.dsml?filename=500676X&taxonID=8953&option=typicalbutterflies
Below a link to ab obscura Frohawk 1938. Male bred by L.W Newman during 1931.
www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/scientific-resources/biodiversity/uk-biodiversity/cockayne/database/image.dsml?filename=500679X&taxonID=8964&option=typicalbutterflies
A History of the Melanic Swallowtail in Britain.
The Story of the Black British Swallowtail ssp britannicus is an interesting one. During August 1921, Mr J.P. Lloyd of Norwich was fishing at Ranworth Broad, when he observed a P. machaon flying around a tree with a black butterfly. At first he thought that the black butterfly was inachis io. Both butterflies settled high up in the tree, when another P. machaon approached the pair and then the black butterfly flew down and to Lloyd's amazement, he saw it was in fact a melanic Swallowtail. Flying up into the tree again the melanic swallowtail rested on a bough well out of reach. After some time, the black Swallowtail flew after a passing P. machaon and then disappeared into the reed beds. Lloyd caught several normal Swallowtail and released them in the vincity of the tree where he first observed the black Swallowtail, hoping once again to attract the melanic butterfly but there was no sign of the great rarity. He explored the nearby marshes in vain. His hope fading, he would have one last look where he first observed the black P. machaon but there was nothing now flying around the tree. Turning to leave, he saw the melanic Swallowtail slowly flying and then settle on a bush, having only a Fisherman's landing net, in a lucky stroke he secured his prize.
The story of this remarkable capture by Lloyd of a melanic Swallowtail even made the National paper, the Daily Mail. There was a little damage to the specimen by its unorthodox capture. The prize was indeed the all black aberration niger. Lloyd thought this specimen was the only one in existence, but the editors of the 1921 issue of the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine suggested a further five or six examples were known? This may be an error but there was possibly the extant original type specimen of aberration niger. The editors of the magazine also said that trees were an abnormal habitat for this species. However, during my observations of the Swallowtail in the Norfolk Broads, I have found that they will often fly from the reed beds and settle high up in trees and bushes on the broads ( lake ) margins to court and then to mate. Lloyd a man of the cloth, could not resist selling his prize shortly after the capture to Lord Walter Rothschild for £65 pounds,a huge sum for an insect in 1921. £65 in 1921 would be the equivalent of about £2600 pounds today. Today Lloyd's specimen is in the BMNH.
A further specimen of Papilio machaon brittannicus aberration niger was taken by the well known collector S.G. Castle Russell (1866-1940) at Horning in the Norfolk Broad in May 1927. Castle Russell was known to his friends as the ' King of variety hunters ' and he was a very lucky and expert field collector. His collection is in the BMNH.
Leonard Woods Newman.
Leonard Woods Newman (1873-1949) was a very successful butterfly farmer at Bexley in Kent. He was a highly regarded breeder of butterflies and produced many rarities on his butterfly farm. Newman was a very well respected professional dealer and unlike some other British dealers of the past, his integrity was beyond question. If you were buying rare British specimens, his customers were guaranteed to get the best available from this Island.
Newman specialized in breeding Swallowtails and visited the Norfolk Broads to collect the caterpillars of Papilio machaon.. He waded into the deep water of the reed beds searching for several hours before he at last came across a fine patch of the foodplant, Milk- Parsley and collected several dozen Swallowtail caterpillars. Ten years later, in June 1930, Newman found that he had at last a specimen of the melanic Swallowtail but it had not emerged in his breeding cages. Newman received a letter from a client, a schoolboy, who was bitterly disappointed to find that a butterfly had emerged from his chrysalis and it was a " nasty black thing " and could he have his money back". I can imagine Newmans hands trembling when he read the letter. Newman wrote at once to the schoolboy, apologizing and asking him to return the butterfly and giving him careful instructions for packing and promised generous compensation if the butterfly turned out to what he had described. When the butterfly arrived Newman was tremendously excited to find it was a black melanic specimen. This butterfly rejected by a schoolboy was sold to Lord Rothschild for £25.
Papilio machaon ab obscura. Bred at Chelmsford, larvae from the Norfolk Broads, L.W Newman. 24.4. 1930. H.C Ferrier. Ex H.J. Turner collection. EX P. Smart collection. As the large Smart collection was sold Auction, I am not sure who has this specimen today. Any ideas. Painting by A.D.A Russwurm.
That summer two more Black Swallowtails appeared in Newman's breeding cages, this pair would not mate, so normal males had to be introduced. A crossing of the female melanic with typical male produced ninety eggs on potted Fennel, but the strain was weak after ten years of in- breeding and only forty hatched successfully. Eleven caterpillars were reared to the chrysalis stage. I am using the old terms for the larvae and pupae in this article, as they appeared in the original account in L. H. Newmans ' Living with Butterflies (1967).
Of the eleven chrysalis, four butterflies emerged in August and of these two were black melanics. The following May the other seven emerged and there were three melanic Swallowtails and four normal ones, giving a ratio of nearly fifty-fifty. Hugh Newman said that he and his father were very interested to find that they were not all similar, some were ab niger and others were examples that Frohawk later named as ab obscura. Prices later fell for these spectacular black Swallowtail aberrations in WWII, when two specimens came up for auction. One specimen of ab niger were sold at sales for £13 ( 1942) and another realized £ 24 ( 1943). Today, if there are any genuine historic specimens of either P. machaon brittanicus ab niger or ab obscura in private collections and these were sold, they would realize a very high price indeed. Newman proved without doubt that these black melanic Swallowtails were genetic and were not produced by any changes in temperature .
The extreme wild and bred Papilio machaon aberratons niger (Heyne 1895) and obscura (Frohawk 1938 are one of the great rarities of the butterfly world. Specimens of ab niger are defined as ; Wings black, markings only faintly discernible.
Such is their rarity, that once again fraud has reared its ugly head, with a number of artificially coloured specimens that have been sold in the past as the extreme ab niger. Recently, a number of European melanic aberrations of Papilio machaon have appeared on the market, that have been produced by artificially injecting the pupae with chemicals . Having viewed a number of these man made aberrations, they do not resemble the true ab niger or ab obscura and some of the yellow markings are clearly visible on the wings.
I do not know the whereabouts of the type aberration of Papilio machaon aberration niger Heyne 1895. Anyone else know!! I believe this aberration was described by Alexander Heyne ( 1869-1927) of Berlin, Germany. The Heynes family where natural history dealers and book publishers. Heynes probably described aberration niger from a specimen caught or bred in Germany and this specimen may survive in one of the country's museums?
aberration obscura (Frohawk 1938).
This aberration was published in Frohawks ' Varieties of British Butterflies ' 1938 p146 figure 2. Frohawks painting is from a L.W. Newman bred specimen . ab obscura was defined as being ; ground colour dull brown with normal black markings still quite apparent. A small series was bred by L.W. Newman .
The Specimens in the British Museum of Natural History.
There is a superb series of black Papilio Machaon brittanicus in the collection of the British Museum of Natural History , there are 15 magnificent specimens and they make are impressive when viewed. Most of the series are from L.W. Newmans breeding cages. Newmans historic black melanic specimens were acquired by various wealthy collectors, who left their collections to the British Museum and now they have come together in a spectacular cabinet drawer.
Due to strict copyright, it is impossible to show the actual images of specimens here that are in the BMNH collections but they can be viewed at these links .
Below. A link to three specimens of ab niger (Heyne 1896). One is a male caught by the well known English collector S.G. Castle Russell at Horning in the Norfolk Broads, on the 8th May 1927. The others shown here are two males and a female bred by L.W. Newman during 1931.
www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/scientific-resources/biodiversity/uk-biodiversity/cockayne/database/taxon.dsml?filename=500676X&taxonID=8953&option=typicalbutterflies
Below a link to ab obscura Frohawk 1938. Male bred by L.W Newman during 1931.
www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/scientific-resources/biodiversity/uk-biodiversity/cockayne/database/image.dsml?filename=500679X&taxonID=8964&option=typicalbutterflies
A History of the Melanic Swallowtail in Britain.
The Story of the Black British Swallowtail ssp britannicus is an interesting one. During August 1921, Mr J.P. Lloyd of Norwich was fishing at Ranworth Broad, when he observed a P. machaon flying around a tree with a black butterfly. At first he thought that the black butterfly was inachis io. Both butterflies settled high up in the tree, when another P. machaon approached the pair and then the black butterfly flew down and to Lloyd's amazement, he saw it was in fact a melanic Swallowtail. Flying up into the tree again the melanic swallowtail rested on a bough well out of reach. After some time, the black Swallowtail flew after a passing P. machaon and then disappeared into the reed beds. Lloyd caught several normal Swallowtail and released them in the vincity of the tree where he first observed the black Swallowtail, hoping once again to attract the melanic butterfly but there was no sign of the great rarity. He explored the nearby marshes in vain. His hope fading, he would have one last look where he first observed the black P. machaon but there was nothing now flying around the tree. Turning to leave, he saw the melanic Swallowtail slowly flying and then settle on a bush, having only a Fisherman's landing net, in a lucky stroke he secured his prize.
The story of this remarkable capture by Lloyd of a melanic Swallowtail even made the National paper, the Daily Mail. There was a little damage to the specimen by its unorthodox capture. The prize was indeed the all black aberration niger. Lloyd thought this specimen was the only one in existence, but the editors of the 1921 issue of the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine suggested a further five or six examples were known? This may be an error but there was possibly the extant original type specimen of aberration niger. The editors of the magazine also said that trees were an abnormal habitat for this species. However, during my observations of the Swallowtail in the Norfolk Broads, I have found that they will often fly from the reed beds and settle high up in trees and bushes on the broads ( lake ) margins to court and then to mate. Lloyd a man of the cloth, could not resist selling his prize shortly after the capture to Lord Walter Rothschild for £65 pounds,a huge sum for an insect in 1921. £65 in 1921 would be the equivalent of about £2600 pounds today. Today Lloyd's specimen is in the BMNH.
A further specimen of Papilio machaon brittannicus aberration niger was taken by the well known collector S.G. Castle Russell (1866-1940) at Horning in the Norfolk Broad in May 1927. Castle Russell was known to his friends as the ' King of variety hunters ' and he was a very lucky and expert field collector. His collection is in the BMNH.
Leonard Woods Newman.
Leonard Woods Newman (1873-1949) was a very successful butterfly farmer at Bexley in Kent. He was a highly regarded breeder of butterflies and produced many rarities on his butterfly farm. Newman was a very well respected professional dealer and unlike some other British dealers of the past, his integrity was beyond question. If you were buying rare British specimens, his customers were guaranteed to get the best available from this Island.
Newman specialized in breeding Swallowtails and visited the Norfolk Broads to collect the caterpillars of Papilio machaon.. He waded into the deep water of the reed beds searching for several hours before he at last came across a fine patch of the foodplant, Milk- Parsley and collected several dozen Swallowtail caterpillars. Ten years later, in June 1930, Newman found that he had at last a specimen of the melanic Swallowtail but it had not emerged in his breeding cages. Newman received a letter from a client, a schoolboy, who was bitterly disappointed to find that a butterfly had emerged from his chrysalis and it was a " nasty black thing " and could he have his money back". I can imagine Newmans hands trembling when he read the letter. Newman wrote at once to the schoolboy, apologizing and asking him to return the butterfly and giving him careful instructions for packing and promised generous compensation if the butterfly turned out to what he had described. When the butterfly arrived Newman was tremendously excited to find it was a black melanic specimen. This butterfly rejected by a schoolboy was sold to Lord Rothschild for £25.
Papilio machaon ab obscura. Bred at Chelmsford, larvae from the Norfolk Broads, L.W Newman. 24.4. 1930. H.C Ferrier. Ex H.J. Turner collection. EX P. Smart collection. As the large Smart collection was sold Auction, I am not sure who has this specimen today. Any ideas. Painting by A.D.A Russwurm.
That summer two more Black Swallowtails appeared in Newman's breeding cages, this pair would not mate, so normal males had to be introduced. A crossing of the female melanic with typical male produced ninety eggs on potted Fennel, but the strain was weak after ten years of in- breeding and only forty hatched successfully. Eleven caterpillars were reared to the chrysalis stage. I am using the old terms for the larvae and pupae in this article, as they appeared in the original account in L. H. Newmans ' Living with Butterflies (1967).
Of the eleven chrysalis, four butterflies emerged in August and of these two were black melanics. The following May the other seven emerged and there were three melanic Swallowtails and four normal ones, giving a ratio of nearly fifty-fifty. Hugh Newman said that he and his father were very interested to find that they were not all similar, some were ab niger and others were examples that Frohawk later named as ab obscura. Prices later fell for these spectacular black Swallowtail aberrations in WWII, when two specimens came up for auction. One specimen of ab niger were sold at sales for £13 ( 1942) and another realized £ 24 ( 1943). Today, if there are any genuine historic specimens of either P. machaon brittanicus ab niger or ab obscura in private collections and these were sold, they would realize a very high price indeed. Newman proved without doubt that these black melanic Swallowtails were genetic and were not produced by any changes in temperature .
L.H. Newman's story of the breeding of the melanic Swallowtail by his father is indeed fascinating and I have used his information freely for this article. 
