I've been noticing the ones in my garden this weekend do seem to differ

Same butterfly but with wings closed I have noticed that my pale coloured ones seem to have a bit paler coloured body as well compared to my normals.

Thanks for that very interesting so the batch layers must store the sperm. - I presume the butterflies that hibernate mate before winter? I was wondering if we accept that around 90% of eggs get either taken by predators or fail to hatch for some other reason, the butterflies that laid the less eggs...

I have looked through my books and can't actually find these things mentioned so am asking here: How much variation is there in the number of eggs laid by different butterflies? Are the rarer one less productive in the number of eggs? eg what is the difference in egg numbers from things such as the ...

I hadn't thought of the food supply but it might well explain what is going on. Today I went down to Botany Bay, and a small brown butterfly with spots caught my eye, really tiny about the size of a skipper but dark brown....After climbing through a ditch and into the wood I found it was ....A tiny ...

How come the gatekeepers in my garden vary in size such a lot? My book says they vary in size from 40-47mm. I have lots of weeny ones and yet I also have some that are the size of a decent sized meadow brown. For a "meadowland" butterfly they certainly seem to enjoy hanging around the top ...

I've seen a couple of pale coloured Meadow Browns around my flower meadow, As I had my camera with me this afternoon I took a picture of one of them. Is this colour normal? Is it just badly faded? Although the wings are a bit tatty the rest of the butterfly didn't look in too bad a condition. When i...

I have the following Buddleia 1 yellow, no idea exactly what sort. 2 which I think are Black Knight 1 White one with silvery leaves and really big flower heads This does seem the most popular with the red admirals. 1 Dartmoor which is again has big flower heads and is very fragrant.this does get a l...

I really don't care if these pictures show rather tatty butterflies, today was a great day for me as it was the first time I have seen a fritillary anywhere on our property, I take it this is a silver-washed? It was out in the field feeding on the fleabane. frit1small.JPG fritsmall.JPG And then when...

Yesterday was a stunning day for butterflies in my garden, the wildflower meadow really came into its own! :D 50+ Gatekeepers, a similar number of meadow browns. And to my delight 30+ or so painted ladies turned up all over the knapweed, and the budleia. Most looked very fresh but there were a few w...

I do have to admit to being pleased they cut the verge at the end of our road as trying to see out of that junction was getting a real suicide run. Around here they do the verges once a year. However it does pose a question as what time of the year it should be done. Hayfield are traditionally cut i...

The 20 odd acre field behind me was cut last week, not for hay, just to keep it looking tidy. ( not owned by a farmer just some millionaire who has a big house) since then my wildflower/hay meadow area in my garden is now so full of Gatekeepers, Ringlets and Meadow Browns and Skippers I can hardly m...

Thanks. The CD's catch the light and help make the hawk take its eye off it's quarry. The garden is about an acre and a half, but around half an acre is taken up with poultry runs/enclosures. The wild flower are is looking good now, lots of birdsfoot trefoil, knapweed sorrels, bedstraws and that pur...

jackharr wrote:Good moth catch last night including this Swallow-tailed Moth.

Now to the more “serious” stuff – off to Fermyn Woods.

Jack

Ah so thats what it is, I had 4 of these hanging around our porch light two days ago. Thanks. - what is their foodplant?

Well the question got answered as to what was going to emerge from that chrysalis I found pic taken on the 18th... I should have told the sussex moth lot, it was 3 days earlier than their first listed sighting...sigh, missed me chance of fame

Anyone have any ideas on the parasite picture?

I was taking a guess at the 6-spot because I have seen them around here in the past, but without a positive ID it could equally be a 5 spot. I suppose I will just have to wait and see what turns up.

Thanks... I was looking at moth pics, no wonder I didn't find him. I apologise for calling him unattractive, he will make up for it later

This is on a stalk of grass near my pond at the moment along with another one...I am pretty sure it's a Six-Spot Burnet chrysalis http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Eris_Chaosdemon/pupae1.jpg as I also found this guy on the birds-foot trefoil http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Eris_Chaosdemo...

I found this fellow on some stinging nettles at the end of my garden, any idea what he/she is? He's not exactly the most attractive caterpillar, he is about 1.5cms long http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Eris_Chaosdemon/catty1.jpg The second picture is of something odd. I had been searching my l...