Pauline

[Mark Tutton]

Hi Pauline
Sorry to hear Goldie is poorly - Flossie (my spaniel) and I were looking forward to meeting up with you all - but there will be another time - get well soon
Kind Regards
Mark

[Goldie M]

Thanks Mark, I hope to meet you some time in the future and Flossie of course. Goldie

[Pauline]

I am glad you liked the Wood Whites Guy. I appreciate your kind comment and the ID of the Snakefly. Today I went out briefly just to see what was about really as it was very warm although overcast and wet. In summary I saw 2 fresh Dukes, 3 quarrelsome Small Heath, a Dingy Skipper and 2 people:

I was not too troubled by the weather as I was looking for immature stages and found a couple of clusters of Duke eggs:

Moths and larva were plentiful along with other bugs - and ticks

However, my highlight of the trip was what I believe to be a Glow Worm larva - something I have never seen before and have wanted to see for a long time. I hadn't realised they were so large!

[Art Frames]

Pauline,
You have solved a mystery for me too. I took some pictures of the same odd larva a week ago. Couldn't ID it and didn't keep them. So if I ever see a glow worm larva again I will perhaps remember. I might also stop deleting pictures quite so quickly....
but thanks for the insight.
Peter

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of Wood whites and Dukes Pauline although I'm most envious of the Snake Fly as I've always wanted to see when of those, oh well just keep looking

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

I found my first ever Glow Worm larvae at hutchinsons bank the other day, my pictures weren't as good as your's and since I had already split that trip into two entries decided not to post it. Lovely Dukes as well. I love this time of year, so much going on

[Pauline]

Hi Peter, if you are quick to delete photos then I need you round here as I have thousands which I should have deleted but can't seem to bring myself to Thank you for your comment.

Cheers Wurzel (I liked them too ). I'm sure you will find a Snakefly one of these days but whilst you're looking I expect you'll find loads of other interesting things . Thanks for the directions btw

I'm still excited about seeing that Glow Worm larva Paul! - not much hope for me, is there? Thank you for your comment - would be good to bump into you one of these seasons!

My last Green Hairstreak pupa has not yet produced a butterfly. It doesn't look like it has died but how is it possible to tell? It has been kept in exactly the same conditions as the others. I shall continue to look after it but have given up constantly watching and have turned my attention to the Purple Hairstreaks. Again, despite the eggs hatching within days of each other and being kept in the same conditions, some seem to be developing faster than others. We shall see. In the meantime a few shots:

Today I found myself surrounded by Dingies and the odd Grizzlie. I had a crazy idea to photograph all the Dingies to highlight their uniqueness but ..... I quickly gave up on that mad idea as it was too windy. There were probably even more Burnet Companions - at least I think that's what they all were as the variations in them were also marked. A couple below:

Is it possible to get abs in moths? or perhaps this is just a gender thing? or age difference? I really don't know.

[Pauline]

Every cloud has a silver lining ........ I'd been looking forward to spending time with Goldie at the weekend but as that was not to be I decided to get on and remove the 15' fig tree that had died at the side of the house. Having cleared all the weeds, sawed it down, dug out the roots, cleared the ground, laid some paving, put down some decorative stone, potted some plants, dragged an old seat out of the garage - 3 days later I have myself (yet another) little seating area. Pity I never get a chance to sit down

I wasn't sure I had any energy left to get up Noar Hill but I needed the break. By the time I arrived (about 3.00pm) it was getting cooler and cloudier. I saw a lovely fresh Red Admiral that didn't want to be photographed, a couple of Dukes, a single Small Heath, but by now it was getting on for 4.00pm. By far the most observed butterflies were the Dingies, many of which were already roosting for the night and the remainder looking for suitable places:

[David M]

Those Dingies are fabulously camouflaged when resting like that, Pauline. Good observations.

[bugboy]

Those Dingies are fabulously camouflaged when resting like that, Pauline. Good observations.

It's like they're wearing Harry Potters Invisibility Cloak

[Pauline]

Aren't they just, David! Best time to see them imo

I could do with a bit of magic myself Buggy After 8 hours with the plumbers yesterday I just had to get out - anywhere! I hadn't been to Paulsgrove for quite some time. Initially I was wary of this site having had a couple of bad experiences here but I love it now. I thought I'd check out the Small Blues and I was very pleasantly surprised. There were clouds of them all over the place - I would go so far as to say I have never seen so many at this site before. A fair bit of egg-laying going on and the Kidney Vetch was peppered with their eggs:

Can't remember the name of these beetles but if no-one shouts I'll look them up again - they were very prolific anyway:

Whenever I meet Roy on site good things happen. I'm thinking of adopting him as my lucky mascot Today I stumbled across a lovely fresh Painted Lady - she looked stunning. How can these insects, as flamboyant as they are, manage to stay so well camouflaged? I guess it is that striking underside which blends with the grass just a little too well:

Common Blues were plentiful and it seems I arrived at lunchtime as all the butterflies I saw were totally focused on nectaring. This female, worn as she was, made me smile with her enthusiasm, burying herself almost fully in the flower:

The sky had started to cloud over and Roy said he could feel the first spots of rain so we headed back to the cars. The butterflies sensed the change in the weather too and had settled down to roost:

Just before we reached the entrance I spotted a mating pair - why does this always happen as I am on my way back and the rain is starting?

Anyway, a good couple of hours which has energised me for the turf laying that is on tomorrow's agenda

[Wurzel]

Great Small Blues Pauline , the second looks like a female as I can't see any blue scales That Painted Lady was a welcome addition I bet

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Top quality Small Blue shots, Pauline, and you certainly gained your due reward with that Painted Lady!

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots Pauline, when you think how far the Painted Ladies Fly when coming here to Britain, it's always amazing to see them, Goldie

[bugboy]

"...Clouds of them...", that's something I would love to experience! Great shots as always Pauline

[Pauline]

First off, I do believe the name of those green beetles is CRYPTOCEPHALUS AUREOLUS. How I couldn't manage to remember that I really don't know as it just trips off the tongue

Cheers Wurzel - that Painted Lady really made my day. Just hope it's the first of many. If you're reading this Paul H. better get checking the Burdock!

Thank you so much David. It was a real delight just to stand and watch so many Small Blues and the perfect weather for it

They're such beautiful butterflies, aren't they Goldie. Hope you get to see some this season.

Thank you for the compliment Buggy - have sent you pm.

Now, amidst a barrage of domestic issues I think it is time for an update on the Commas at the very least - or they'll be butterflies before I know it!

Another skin change

4th

Final instar

Preparing to pupate

Pupa

Another pupa

I have been keeping an eye on my little Wych Elm tree - y'know, the one that the WLH laid eggs on (dare I even mention that ) To my knowledge they didn't hatch but they are so well camouflaged I have been watching for signs of feeding damage - and something had definitely been eating it. Turns out it was another 5 tiny Comma cats ....... and so the cycle starts again!

[millerd]

Nice shots of the Comma caterpillars, Pauline. It brings it all back: one of the first caterpillars I ever found in the wild, at the bottom of the garden when I was small. A bit of a rarity then in a London suburb.

Dave

[David M]

Lovely selection of early stage images again, Pauline.

Here's hoping you manage to observe at least one of the Commas emerging from the pupa.

[Wurzel]

Great sequence Pauline, really interesting to see that on the pupa you can just make out the eyes and palps that look like the imago, I'd not noticed that before

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Thank you Dave. Your comment caused me to cast my mind back to the (very) few butterflies I saw when growing up in a very industrial area of shipbuilding and mining. By far the most common was the Large White, followed by Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral.

How did you know I'd be trying to do that David? I'm hoping it will be slightly easier/more predictable than the Green Hairstreaks as I spent a total of 60 hours watching them Thank you for your kind remark.

I know I've said it before but you really are observant Wurzel - and with a great imagination

This morning the moth trap provided a lot of interest - much more so than last time, despite the 18 Cockchafers inside. For me I think the star of the show had to be this gorgeous Puss moth. I'm not sure if it is male or female but I shall be checking all my Willow

The next moth to greet me was this stunning Poplar Hawk-moth:

A couple of smaller moths attracted my attention, not just because I had never seen them before, but because their markings were quite incredible. I'm afraid these shots really do not do them justice. The first one I now know is a Red Green Carpet moth. I took the photos inside the trap as I thought it might fly if moved which it later did indeed do:

Similarly this Green Pug looked almost metallic in the trap, but once it had flown and landed on the Plum tree, it almost 'disappeared':

I have seen the White Ermine before but that doesn't lessen my appreciation of this lovely insect:

I think this cute little moth is a Heart and Dart but I have no idea what the following one is - given its position and 'hairiness' perhaps some sort of (worn) Tussock? It was a big moth mind!

Well, there were lots more. Some I recognised, some I didn't. Some flew away, some of the little ones I couldn't be bothered with (sorry! ). Anyway, it was a very interesting couple of hours and one of the most varied 'haul' I have yet achieved.