Thanks Wurzel. I agree, female common blues seem infinitely variable.
I saw a brimstone not long ago, David, but forgot to note it in my diary. The hibernators are very long-lived butterflies. Camberwell beauties in Switzerland regularly live almost long enough to meet their own offspring.
Fascinating how some formerly scarce dragonflies are expanding, Buzzard - in some cases into the UK from the continent. When I began doing dragonflies, back in the 1980s,
Coenagrion puella and
Sympetrum sanguineum were both exciting things to find. Now they are common Suffolk insects. And as for all the new emerald damselflies immigrating ...
Today's featured creature is again the hairy shield bug. Some of the eggs have now begun hatching:
These are the first of four nymph instars, the adults emerging in August.
The now statutory picture of Tangerine:
The leaf she was on yesterday was completely eaten by today, bar the central vein, and I'm sure it was her doing.
Satsuma is still sticking exclusively to developing seed pods:
I forgot to mention I saw a painted lady near the house yesterday and another today.
Guy