Me neither!!! It was almost a relief when Neil informed that there had been records of a second brood in 2013 in Sussex. Interestingly that was also the year that a number of LTB came to our shores. Perhaps the same climate suits them both but if we get any more 'LTB years' I shall certainly be on the lookout for 2nd brood GH - just wish it had settled on my side of the checkpoint
20 August
A final trip Thorney to look for Painted Lady eggs or larva – again without success. Nevertheless, it was a joy just to stand for a couple of hours in one small area and watch the activities of dozens and dozens of butterflies. I took a few more shots of the Painted Ladies as it might be a while before the opportunity returns to view them in such numbers and GVW mating.
The second Wasp Spider I have seen this week – thankfully this one didn’t have a butterfly in its clutches.
As I wanted to know more about them and their strange web construction this is an extract I found:
‘Wasp spiders are a very distinctive looking species. They have black and yellow stripes across their bodies, looking like no other species of spider found in the UK. Their colour and pattern mimics the colouration of a wasp, which is where the Wasp spider gets its name from. Their appearance is actually a defence mechanism, as by disguising themselves as wasps, predators leave well alone believing them to be a wasp and not a spider. Their bright appearance may seem dangerous, but don’t be fooled as these mesmerising little creatures are actually harmless! And in fact are related to the Common garden spider.
To match their unique look, Wasp spiders also have a unique web. They are orb-shaped, like a Common garden spider, but they have a single zig-zag pattern of silk through the centre rather than all over. Their webs aren’t always like this. When Wasp spiders are young, their web is a circular zigzagging design. When the spider grows older, it makes both the circular and straight zigzag pattern through its web, until it eventually only makes the straight zigzag pattern.
The zigzag design is created to reflect UV light and attract pollinating insects like flies, bees and moths!
As is the case with many spider species, the females rule the roost!-Or web in this case! Female Wasp spiders are much larger than males, measuring in at an impressive 14-18mm, whilst males only reach up to between 4 and 6mm.When it comes to mating, males play a daring and dangerous game. Males will wait at the edge of a web until the female has moulted into a mature form then will dive in to make their move. Females actually eat males whilst they are mating, so doing it at this precise moment is key to the hopeful survival of males as the female’s jaws are still soft. However, luck isn’t on their side much and the females still eat the males alive, soft jaws or not!’