Nothing wrong with this photo that can't be rectified with a few adjustments in a photo editing program. I took the liberty of opening the image in Photoshop Elements and made some quick adjustments in Levels, which has improved the contrast and overall appearance.

M.

Looks right for transalpina to me. Red spots smaller and more widely spaced than filipendulae. You might find this useful:http://www.lepinet.fr.

M.

Most likely the burnet moth Zygaena transalpina.

M.

I had at first doubted that the larva was QoS, but on referring to the excellent German lepiforum site I am convinced that it is. See:http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Issoria_Lathonia. Just scroll down to the larvae.

M

Sorry to bore you with more Clouded Yellows, but I couldn't resist this pair on 17 April. Many people have remarked on the scarcity of Red Admirals this spring; my only sighting this year was in early March. However, on 16 April I spotted this folded leaf which contained a plump Red Admiral caterpil...

Sometimes two females use the same leaf at the same time. These were seen in Reading in the late 80s or early 90s.

I don't have Biology O level.

M.

13 April. Clouded Yellow emergence continues. Photo shows specimen drying wings with vacated pupa in bottom left corner. Also seen mating pair and sundry patrolling males.

M.

In spite of a chilly breeze off the sea and much cloud I managed to find three Clouded Yellows today at Southbourne, two at the Warren Edge car park, one damaged but otherwise fresh, the other perfect. The third Yellow was near the lower end of the St.Catherine's path, near the Bistro on the Beach. M.

Guy, a very similar specimen from Qatar has been defying the experts on Waarneming, one of whom suggested it looked like a Brephidium. See: http://forum.waarneming.nl/smf/index.php?topic=266790.0. Perhaps an American has been accidentally introduced to that area.

M.

The spider is a male Philaeus chrysops. The female lacks the red on the abdomen.

M.

Clouded-Yellow-habitat_60789.jpg Clouded Yellows are unpredictable, but after nearly 20 years experience of the Bournemouth cliffs I'd say that the autumn is the most reliable time for sightings. There have always been at least a few present in October every year. The attached photo shows one of th...

I have at last tracked down a first instar Clouded Yellow larva. Eggs that I found in late November have disappeared, but no larvae are visible. The attached was in a different place, where I had seen a number of females a few weeks ago. Photographed 12 December.

Looks like a Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell Nymphalis xanthomelas.

M.

Mike, you might like to know that I saw a fresh male briefly in flight east of the Bistro at 1400 yesterday, and also several eggs on Common Bird'sfoot Trefoil. Most of these have yet to assume their orange colouring, indicating that they were laid quite recently.

M.

Done, Vince.

M.

I thought this interesting Small Copper was worth a record shot, because of its unusually well developed tails. (Bournemouth cliffs 30 July) Rightly or wrongly, I associate this type of development with dark summer Coppers from southern Europe. The July heatwave to blame?

I add my appreciation of your Greek photos, which are of particular interest to me as I was in the Chelmos area a week earlier than you. As no one else has picked it up, I'd like to point out that the copper in your first picture for day 2 is the Lesser Fiery Copper, not the Grecian.

M.

To return to the Nemoptera, I think you have the other, rarer, Greek species, Nemoptera coa. See: http://www.entomologiitaliani.net/publi ... f=21&t=229.

I suspect that the Bonchurch Painted Lady was a migrant, rather than an overwinterer. There have been a number of sightings recently. One at Worth Matravers, Dorset on 27th December, and one each at Studland, Nr Corfe Castle and Keyhaven, Hants, all on the 1st Jan. In addition, there have been migra...

Although the Egyptian Grasshopper does occur on Gran Canaria, your beast is actually the Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria. I attach a photo of Anacridium for comparison.

M.