August 2020

[Padfield]

Thanks for those, Allan. The short-tailed blue is clearly not gravid - let us hope she finds a male from the same influx or release ...

Following up on the freshly moulted 4th instar holly blue larva I posted this morning, I went outside tonight after dark with my UV torch (same technique as I used to find w-album cats in the spring) and quickly located two more larvae - one later 4th instar, and really quite big, and the other a tiny 2nd stager:


(4th instar)


(2nd instar)

I learn from Pete's book that 2nd instar have long hairs, like that one, 3rd instar have shorter hairs and a rather prominent white stripe on the side (though under flash, at night, I'm not sure how good the colours are) and 4th instar are more velvety and come in at least three different colour schemes).

They don't really glow under UVA, like w-album, but look a very different colour from the ivy, so are easy to see.

Guy

[David M]

Thought this may be of interest .A SHORT -tailed Blue was reported along with two excellent photographs on the Sussex butterfly cons website yesterday ,apparently from a small site ,on the Sussex/Surrey border.

Wow!

Just taken a look, Allan. That's one hell of a find, though as the report says provenance with these easy to rear species is always questionable.

[Kip]

Nice late visit from an elderly WLH today, and a fresh Painted Lady here for the last 3 days despite the stormy weather. Common Blues, Brown Argus, Walls and Holly Blues all flying here presently.... counted 53 Small Torts in the garden 2 days ago, a mere 31 today!

[Allan.W.]

Yes David ,as you rightly say ,questionable as to it being a genuine migrant or a release ..............my money is on release (or more
likely escape ) but whatever ...................I know ,that i would have loved to have found it ! Often wondered about the authenticity of Short -tailed Blues in the UK .................especially Kent records ! because as you probably know ,in the mid-late 1800,s a group calling themselves
"The Kentish Buckaneers " would release extremely rare migrants at certain sites in around Kent ,tip off collectors(for some monetary incentive ),
one that springs to mind is of two Cardinals caught in the Devils Kneading Trough ,near me in Wye ! Quite ridiculous.............but there you go !
Today ,just had to get out ! It was sunny ,quite warm ...................but blowing a gale ! I headed for my "New" Adonis
site near Hythe ,found reasonable numbers of Adonis ,probably 25+ all but 3 were males ,and beginning to look very worn. Amongst the males
found my first AB:(for this site !) ,what i often see with this particular AB; is that one side is perfect ,and the opposite side is pinched in ,and this one
was no exception ,it also had an enlarged black spot on the creased side.

Other species seen ,in less than ideal conditions ,were a few Common Blues ,Brown Argus ,Small Heath and Meadow Brown ,plus a wind assisted
Clouded Yellow ,only my second (or possibly 3rd ) of the season ,but impossible to keep tracks on it ,also 2 fresh 3rd brood Small Coppers and 2
huge female Wasp spiders .As i was returning to the car i stumbled across a small patch of the beautiful Autumn Ladies Tresses (orchids ) to remind me
that summer is slowly ............slipping away.

Regards Allan.W.

[Deborah]

Allan - your Wasp Spider is wonderful! I haven’t seen one yet this year. So today, in the absence of butterflies, other than the usual suspects, in my garden for the first time this Carpenter Bee. Poor photo. But what an amazing colour! Hope it reappears tomorrow so I can get a closer look and a better image.
But also, in the house I found this batting against the window to escape. I’m pretty sure it’s a Large Tortoiseshell - very worn. I was torn between trying to get a photo or just letting it out. Letting it out won. Please let me know if I’m wrong in my ID.

[Allan.W.]

Thanks Deborah,glad you liked the Spider ,they now seem to be turning up all over Kent ,and seem quite common on the Downland sites in particular.......................I,ll tell you what ..................I,ll swap it for your Carpenter Bee ! As you say ......stunning colour !
one was found a few years back at Dungeness (Kent ) ,but unfortunately ,i never got to see it !
Regards Allan.W.

[zigzag_wanderer]

Kitchen visitor earlier tonight. Based on a quick bit of hunting online, I reckon it must be an Orange Swift. Lovely little thing - almost got a furry face at the back of its head. Just noticed, from last pic looks like it's missing a back leg.

Weather hasn't been too great round our way for butterflies, although the Small Whites seem to be relatively undaunted, making the most of the better spells. I spotted female Holly Blues nectaring quite low down on the ragwort and fleabane fair distances away from their normal hedgerow patrols on both days last weekend. Not really noticed them doing that before.

The recent rain has definitely kicked off the mushroom season at last locally though. Got a big bag of field mush and champignon today. Saving the latter for breakfast with a bit of bacon on thick cut toast tomorrow (well later today technically)

[Stevieb]

Out early this morning to find roosting butterflies. Very overcast and damp.

♂ Adonis Blue 23rd Aug

♂ Adonis Blue 23rd Aug

Adonis Blue 23rd Aug

Adonis Blue 23rd Aug

♂ Adonis Blue 23rd Aug

♀ Common Blue 23rd Aug

♀ Adonis Blue 23rd Aug

♀ Adonis Blue 23rd Aug

♀ Adonis Blue 23rd Aug

Wall 23rd Aug

Meadow Brown 23rd Aug

Small Heath 23rd Aug

Small White 23rd Aug

Small Tortoiseshell 23rd Aug

[Stevieb]

A couple of nice fresh Small Coppers and Small Tortoiseshell this afternoon. Beacon Hill

Small Copper 24th Aug

Small Copper 24th Aug

Small Copper 24th Aug

Brown Argus 24th Aug

Small Tortoiseshell 24th Aug

Comma 24th Aug

[zigzag_wanderer]

Not a lot about in our fields at the moment.

On my detox WFH lunchtime walk today I saw 5-6 Small White, 2 Speckled Wood, one very flighty Red Admiral, a Large White, 2-3 male Common Blues, 1 Brown Argus, something very Small Tortoiseshell like that sped past me out into the meadow, 4-5 Meadow Browns, 2-3 Gatekeepers, 2 fresh looking Small Coppers and 1 Small Heath.

The Grass Veneers are still about, but nowhere near the peak numbers. Quite a few Silver Y in a range of sizes whirring about the long grass.

Haven't seen a Brown Hairstreak in the fields for about 10 days now.

Someone has obviously been busy planting or flower-bombing some previously scrubby land on another local walk.

[David M]

Nice late visit from an elderly WLH today...

That's one hell of a sighting for late August, Kip!

[David M]

My ex-neighbour sent me an excited series of messages the other day from her home in Colorado, US.

A mint fresh Camberwell Beauty had flown into her property and spent 18 hours there before exiting the following day. It rested wings shut on the wall for the main part, but it brought her great delight when it entered her conservatory to check out the orchids.

Rare to see one so immaculate and with such deep yellow wing margins. Whenever I see them in Europe these have usually faded to a creamy white and are tattered as a result of a life of combat:

[Testudo Man]

Back to Queensdown Warren in Kent on Sunday (23/8/20) no sign of that CY helice (i didnt expect to see it) but had hoped i might! I guess a lot can happen to a butterfly in 48 hours. I didnt expect to see any fresh SSS's on the wing either, but found a fresh beauty/female in amongst all the other worn ones. Also found a female Adonis ab. Some highlights of the day, cheers Paul. No images are cropped.
Some reptiles were also seen - 2 Adders, 3 Common Lizards.

Note - the male Adder was found at another site, before i arrived at this location.

A fresh female SSS, nectaring on Dwarf Thistle.

A fresh female Adonis Blue, on a Harebell flower.

A female Adonis Blue ab. She had some wear to her wings, an a hole to her wing(other side).

A male Adder, basking on a log pile (a female Adder was also on the same log pile).

[aeshna5]

That Adder is very handsome.

Last Thursday I went down to Denbies hillside & saw just under 20 Silver-spotted Skippers & all but one looked pretty fresh.

Still plenty of Chalkhill Blues but only located 8 Adonis Blues.

[Deborah]

In the 80’s I lived in South London and used to see this mosaic daily on my bus journey. Years later, knowing next to nothing about butterflies, when I first became interested I thought it was something I would ‘spot’ . I really enjoyed your ex-neighbour’s photos! Probably the closest I’ll ever get to seeing one!
Plus a couple more different instars of Swallowtails in the garden:

[Allan.W.]

Made a return visit this morning to one of my local "lockdown "sites ,close to home ,i was going to give it a miss ,after seeing practically nothing on my last visit ,about a week ago . But what a difference a week has made !
The site is now "Yellow" with mass Common fleabane plants ,covering the site ,and very attractive to the Small Coppers (12) and Brown Args (20+)

Plenty of other species about as well ,with many meadow Browns ,including some very fresh individuals ,several Small Heath ,and three species of White ,this female Green-Vein female ,really caught my eye...............shame about the wing damage !

My best butterfly find was 2 female Clouded Yellows , a first for me at this site,but i am seeing more locally now. As i strolled about the site ,i disturbed a largish ,Green Cricket species ,and after finally getting a good look ,i was pretty sure ,that it was the very scarce Sickle -Bearing bush cricket ,(now confirmed), I found 4 in all ,and as a bonus ,found two Long-winged Coneheads (crickets ) .

All in all ,a very successful couple of hours ! Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

Yes, Allan, I think fleabane is possibly Small Coppers' favourite nectaring plant at this time of year.

Agree with your statement regarding the Green Veined White - how perfect would it have been without that hindwing damage?

[aeshna5]

Allan- where did you find the Sickle-winged Cricket? A rough area will do if you don't wish to disclose the exact site. I know there's been a small colony at Dungeness for a few years along with a substantial colony of Tree Crickets (the only UK site I'm aware of) & this week at least 8 Large Coneheads were discovered making the site a real Orthoptera hot spots.

I know another colony of Sickle-winged Crickets were found a couple of years back at a second site in Kent but don't know if it persists there?

Great find! One I've yet to see in the UK.

[Allan.W.]

I was very pleased to stumble across these Crickets ,Aeshna 5 ,and only 5 minutes from my front door ! ,i,ve sent you a PM.
Regards Allan.W.

[Stevieb]

Love was in the air with multiple Small and Green-veined whites in cop. Beacon Hill

Green-veined Whites 26th Aug

Green-veined Whites 26th Aug

Small whites 26th Aug

Small whites 26th Aug

♀ Small white 26th Aug

Green-veined Whites 26th Aug