Maximus

[Allan.W.]

Hello Maximus ,
Your last moth is a Copper Underwing or a Svennsons Copper underwing ,difficult to tell apart without seeing the underside (and then not straightforward ) ,your second last could be an abberant Copper Underwing ,or a species closely related which doesn,t appear in the UK.
Your Willow Beauty ,i think could be the "Engrailed"
Regards Allan.W.

[millerd]

Just looking back at your recent posts and have to offer a for the Lesser Purple Emperors, Mike, closely followed by another one for the Sooty Coppers. It is such a shame that the Channel is an insurmountable barrier to the latter reaching the south of the UK as I'm sure they'd thrive in southern England.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

Splendid selection of moths, Mike.

Your garden seems to attract a considerable range of insects. Are you near woodland?

[Maximus]

Thanks for the moth ID's, Allan, very much appreciated


They should both be there, Dave, the climate in northern France is the same as the southern UK.


Thanks, David, yes we have woodland all around us, perhaps that explains why we have seen both, Purple Emperor and Silver-washed Fritillary in our garden.


Some recent photos from our garden, I have not posted recently as applying for our residency card has taken precedent, and our time However I have been keeping up with other personal diaries Painted Ladies have been a feature over here and some very fresh individuals have been seen.

Also this lovely fresh female Wall Brown appeared on the verbena, yesterday..

..and then today this beautiful Painted Lady appeared briefly on our verbena, when the sun finally broke through.

[Maximus]

Several fresh 'French' Speckled Woods spotted in our garden recently..

and several Peacocks nectaring on marigold flowers in our polytunnel..

.. and a very large female Wasp Spider on a fence post (the post is 3 inch diameter) giving scale to her size!

[David M]

Thanks, David, yes we have woodland all around us, perhaps that explains why we have seen both, Purple Emperor and Silver-washed Fritillary in our garden.

Thanks, Mike. You truly are blessed! Good luck with the residency card.

Your Speckled Wood looks a bit like an intermediate form between aegeria and tircis. Do you ever see the paler form round your area?

[trevor]

Spectacular Specklies Mike.
Spiders don't worry me at all, but I would not like to find that one in the bath !.

All the best, stay well.
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

More cracking Walls Maximus Really like the Specklie as well - less orange than some I've seen in Portugal but not the brown and cream of the UK Seeing that intermediate type does make me wonder about the taxonomy and how realistic all the 'splitting' is but then I see your cracking shots and forget all that as I enjoy looking at them so much

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Maximus]

Thanks, David It would be interesting to know for certain whether the the Speckled Woods in Normandy are an intermediate form. Following photo is the palest one I've seen here.

Thanks, Trevor, perhaps in the shower would not be so bad

Thanks, Wurzel, having Wall Browns in our garden is a real bonus I don't keep up with all the taxonomic data, but, like you, I just enjoy seeing the Specklies around



Pale, Speckled Wood.

It is a little worn, but looks like it was pale anyway.

Some recent shots from our garden. Small Coppers have appeared recently including several of the blue badge variety..

and a different individual..

.. a 'normal' individual..

..and some more male Wall browns, looking for a female, not much chance for a few days now!

Until this bad weather arrived on Friday, butterfly numbers have been very good. Plenty of (second brood) Peacocks, Red Admirals and Large and Small Whites around. Small Tortoiseshells have disappeared into hibernation (I know where several are hiding out), Brimstones went about a month ago. We also have some first instar Large White cats and a batch of yet unhatched eggs (removed from our cabbages) in our rearing cage, they are leaving it a bit late!
That could be it now until spring, but you can never be sure.

[Wurzel]

More cracking Walls Maximus - especially the final shot You can never have enough Walls I reckon Interstign to read that you seem to be experiencing a similar 'end of the season' feeling over there as here each sighting now feels like it could be the last for the year Spring 2022 can't come quick enough

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Beautiful Small Coppers & Wall Browns, Mike, but the Speckled Wood stands out; it is very unusually marked and is more akin (on the forewings at least) to our own tircis form.

[Maximus]

Cheers, Wurzel, it's getting very near to the last sightings of 2021 here, now, sadly

Thanks, David, I've seen a couple more Speckled Woods like that since.



3rd October

This morning I went out to check if the polytunnel was still there after last nights gale, quite surprisingly it was in one piece. Even more surprising was that there were three freshly emerged Peacocks inside, nectaring on the companion planted marigolds. These were the end result of cats that had left the nearby nettles and crawled into the tunnel to pupate. I ushered the Peacocks out and then spotted another butterfly at the far end of the tunnel also nectaring on some marigolds. It turned out to be a male Wall Brown, which must have found the gap at the top of the doors and entered the tunnel to escape from the howling wind and torrential rain. There he found shelter from the elements and a ready supply of nectar..

...and another Wall, sitting on our window sill..

..and some Peacocks, a lone Comma, Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell nectaring on the verbena outside our front door

Although there are generally less butterflies about now, probably due to the colder nights of late, there are still some feeding up on the verbena and ivy. The last few days have been nice and sunny, long may it continue

[David M]

Looks like that polytunnel is extremely useful for reasons other than what it was designed for, Mike.

Nice to see a few Peacocks; I haven't seen any since August although there are still Torties, Commas, Red Admirals and Whites around my way.

[Wurzel]

That's a pretty good haul for pottering about in the garden Mike As those Walls are males and still in a reasonable nick perhaps there will be some butterflies around for a while yet as the females can't be too far behind? Here's hoping for you

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Maximus]

Yes the polytunnel also works well as a butterfly trap/environment, David, with a plentiful nectar

There's always something to be found in our garden, Wurzel I've been keeping a look out for late female Walls, no luck so far, but here's hoping. The males are looking, I watched one checking out every light coloured fallen leaf, recently.




A couple of shots from the last two days. The colder nights here have seen butterfly numbers plummet, with the hibernators tucking themselves away.

A very fresh Painted Lady, seen yesterday, nectaring on viburnum.

Small Copper nectaring on verbena, this morning.

A nicely marked Speckled Wood, one of several seen this morning.

There were also a couple of Peacocks and Red Admirals nectaring on ivy flowers.

[millerd]

I do like the "half-and-half" Speckled Woods you get where you are, Mike. Far more attractive than either the UK version or the one from southern Europe!

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

That is a cracking end of the season Painted Lady Maximus, very dusky-maiden-esque I was down to Red Admirals and Small Whites at the weekend a sure sign that the rotund diva is having some 'Zoobs which are good for her tubes'

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

That really is an interestingly marked Speckled Wood, Mike. If the two forms overlap I see no reason why they wouldn't hybridise.

[Maximus]

They're not half bad, Dave but seriously, there appear to be various forms of Specklie here, very attractive they are too

Cheers, Wurzel, she was a great find. The rotund diva may not yet be ready for her zoobs, not quite yet

Yes, she did have nice markings, David, perhaps they do hybridise as you suggest a shot of a well marked dusky female SW seen last year.

After last nights cool temperatures I wasn't expecting much butterfly activity today. However, a few were seen when the late autumn sun had warmed them up

Comma.

Speckled Wood.

Peacock on ivy.

Red Admiral on ivy.

Long may it continue it's a while until spring is here

[David M]

You certainly have more about than we do here, Mike. Since the weather turned wet mid-month there are just a few Red Admirals on the wing.

Roll on spring!