On my local walk in Perivale/Greenford, west London, yesterday was my third consecutive day of 8 species, but still no definite Green-veined white (all that settled were Small White or in one case a female Orange Tip) or Red Admiral. Orange Tips doing very well as are Peacocks. The most local Brimst...

On our daily walk in the west London 'burbs we had a very productive afternoon with 8 species (highest tally this year) including multiple Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells, Small Whites, male Brimstones, male Orange Tips, a single Comma & two new for the year- a single Speckled Wood & 2 Holly ...

In my small west London suburban garden yesterday a female (my first female of year) Brimstone spent c40 minutes feeding at various yellow Wallflowers, a my first male Orange Tip paid a brief visit, a male small white fed at flowers of Hidcote Comfrey (loved by Hairy-footed Flower Bees) & a coup...

Finally species number 2. A comma initially on a muddy track but as I approached flew onto a blackthorn low down & seemed to enjoy the flowers.

Yes, I remember seeing plenty of these gently fluttering over low vegetation. Would love to return one day, though not going to be any time too soon now!

Lovely stuff. Brings back happy memories of a Florida trip more years ago than I care to remember. Remember some stunning dragonflies as well as the bird life, alligators, manatees, etc

Finally- a couple of butterflies yesterday- 2 very mobile male Brimstones at Barnes , west London. Pleased to see both at the same time otherwise I'd probably have logged it as one sighting, given how mobile they were!

I can see a similarity with African Grass Blue on the underwing which is the same genus & one I'm familiar with. Lovely looking butterfly!

Many thanks for this, Pete.

What's the story behind the Brown Playboy- did it come with imported plants or foodstuffs?

Look forward to this as I was in Armenia last year on a general natural history tour + the butterflies were a mix of the familiar with others not quite so. I believe a book on the Armenian butterflies is in preparation but not sure when publication is due. Great country for sure!

Nice photo. I did see a few last month in Andalucia. Looks like it's feeding on Dittrichia viscosa, which is an excellent nectar plant in late summer/autumn. I even saw a Monarch on a single plant by a busy road.

1 Yellow Shell
2 Udea lutealis
3 Riband Wave

Some stunning images +what sounds like a great trip.

Agree. We had both these species in the traps yesterday morning along with 7 other species. Both lovely looking moths.

Just for reference you had a typo in the genus for that beautiful micro-moth- it's Atteva rather than Attvea. I wouldn't have known but thought I'd look up more about it. Quite a stunner. Ailanthus is an invasive plant in London- maybe we could do with this beauty here?

Really enjoyable photos, especially after the gloomy conditions here! It's been many years since I've been that side of the Atlantic, so good to see these, some I recognised, but not all!

Agree the flower is a Lantana not a Nemesia. I've grown it in the Uk + not a butterfly attracted to it but in warmer parts of the world can be a magnet. Though tender so tends not to survive outside in the UK apart from places like the Isles of Scilly. In warmer parts of the world it can be an invas...

Some lovely butterflies plus the unnamed Speckled Yellow.

Try White Ermine