July 2022

[David M]

Hopefully a memorable July to come...

[Charles Nicol]

i went to Totternhoe today. there was heavy rain for half an hour at midday, but otherwise quite pleasant with sunny intervals.
i saw these Skippers & also the green caterpillar.

Are the Skippers the same type ?

Do you know what kind of caterpillar it is ?

thank you for your assistance

Charles

[millerd]

Hi Charles,

The first skipper is a male Large Skipper, and the second looks to me like a Small Skipper (rather than Essex) as there seems to be a hint of orange at the antenna tips.

No idea at all about the caterpillar, except I don't think it's any kind of butterfly.

Cheers,

Dave

[Mitch]

An interesting c-album seen today 2 7 22 a mile or so east of Dorchester in Dorset.A bit ragged, even for a comma, and a little worn. I know they can vary a lot, but I wondered if this one was different enough to have its own “var”

[bugboy]

In conditions ranging from mediocre to dire I managed 4 Large Blue today, the last two annoyingly when I needed to leave but the first one found before the heavens opened was a rather nice male

(Both phone pics, proper pics will appear in my PD at some point in the coming weeks/months!)

[millerd]

18 species seen on my local patch near Heathrow today (2nd), possibly a new record for a day here (I need to check!). These included the first female Gatekeeper of the year...

...and another couple of fresh second brood Brown Argus. One had a hint of ab. snelleri about it, with faint white forewing spots...

...but the other had more than a hint, being the most extreme example of this variety I've seen. The hindwings had spots too.

The underside appeared quite normal, despite the upperside looking a bit like its Northern relative.

Dave

[Charles Nicol]

Hi Charles,

The first skipper is a male Large Skipper, and the second looks to me like a Small Skipper (rather than Essex) as there seems to be a hint of orange at the antenna tips.

No idea at all about the caterpillar, except I don't think it's any kind of butterfly.

Cheers,

Dave

thanks for the Skipper assistance millerd !

maybe the caterpillar will turn into a moff one day ?

[zigzag_wanderer]

That'll definitely turn into a moth one day Charles.....but I can't tell you which one I'm sure someone here can though.

I'd also love to find an unusual Comma like yours Mitch. Has to be some form of ab. surely ?

Commas are definitely about in good numbers now on my local fields.

Despite all the pre-development work done in those fields, I'd say Marbled Whites, golden Skippers and Ringlets are in numbers as least as good as the last 2 years. Meadow Browns maybe slightly down (although very common at work). Small Heath and Small Copper seem to be the major losers. I've seen less than 5 of the former and none of the latter in those fields all year. SH numbers are high in the fields on the way to work though.

My weekly grab bag of nonsense attached.

- I got a bit more face to face with this week's Fence-post Jumping Spider.
- Not very scientific, but of the small sample of Smessex skips we get in the houses....most seem to be Essex.
- Very sparkly golden beetles appeared on our dogwood this week. I think they must be Lagria hirta but they are said to be found mostly in areas of light or sandy soils, whereas we sit directly on the Wealden Clag bed.
- Can't see from the snap but the Dusky Pearl moth has an amazing contrast between dark upper and gleaming white under (including legs).
- Any help with the fly ID really appreciated. Struggling to find a wasp mimic with long antennae and that much yellow.

[bugboy]

- Any help with the fly ID really appreciated. Struggling to find a wasp mimic with long antennae and that much yellow.

Try Conopid fly

[zigzag_wanderer]

- Any help with the fly ID really appreciated. Struggling to find a wasp mimic with long antennae and that much yellow.

Try Conopid fly

Excellent ! Thanks as always Bugboy.

Yes, looks like Conops quadrifasciatus to me. Sounds like you wouldn't want to fly too close to a female if you were a bumblebee.

[aeshna5]

Had my first 3 Gatekeepers yesterday on my local patch yesterday in west London suburbs.

Hardly any butterflies in the garden at the moment (insect numbers down generally) but local meadows are alive with Marbled Whites, Ringlets, Meadow Browns & Small Skipper (did note a couple of Essex Skippers yesterday for the first time this season).

Big find was a Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly along a seepage on a golf course development.

Nice watching a Hobby with some of the local Red Kites.

[Allan.W.]

Great find with the Scarce Blue Tail ,Aeshna, i,ve had several "Goes" for them Down in Devon and Cornwall ,but with no luck !(Yet!) I believe they were also found at a new undisclosed site in Sussex last year .I ,ve had a couple of Good finds in Dainty Damsel (1 male ) at Sandwich bay ,and a Lesser Emperor at Hever castle lake .
Regards Allan.W.

[Charles Nicol]

went to Sharpenhoe today, hoping to see Chalkhill Blues... none yet

i did find these Ringlets

[Bertl]

Took a drive to St cyrus nnr today as forecast sunny intervals. Unfortunately it remained very overcast apart from a brief 15 minutes of sun which got around a dozen grayling on the wing.....Unfortunately no photo opportunities at this juncture......but one landed in front of me as i walked back to the car later.

A few DGF, common blue, small heath, ringlet and meadow brown around.

Lots of burnet moths and cinnabar moth caterpillar.

Also took a photo of a bug on bracken .....not sure what it was.

Will definitely revisit soon.

[Charles Nicol]

An exciting day in the Chilterns !

I stumbled across a Purple Emperor colony

there were about 6 in the treetops. one had come down to the track to visit some damp mud ( otherwise i would not have looked up to see the others ).

as you can see this one has been munched by a bird, but was still flying vigorously:

[Charles Nicol]

i went back to the Emperor site today... none of them came down to the track. i was so lucky yesterday to see one on the ground.

i managed to take a photo of some treetop activity:

i left various treats on the ground... i shall pop over tomorrow to see if they work

[David M]

An exciting day in the Chilterns !

I stumbled across a Purple Emperor colony

Exciting indeed, Charles.

Did you have any idea they were there?

[Charles Nicol]

An exciting day in the Chilterns !

I stumbled across a Purple Emperor colony

Exciting indeed, Charles.

Did you have any idea they were there?

i had been looking out for Emperors at this large site; although there are very few oak trees [EDIT none at all] there are plenty of sallows for the little 'uns to eat

it was purely by chance that i found this colony. if the individual in the picture had not come down to the ground i would have walked straight past without noticing the others.

at first i thought it was a White Admiral until i looked at the photo...

[Stevieb]

A quick walk just five minutes from home and a White-letter Hairstreak in near enough the same spot as my last one here on 17 July 2020. Sandridge Common, Wiltshire

7th July

7th July

7th July

7th July

7th July

[David M]

Great stuff, Steve. I envy you getting one so approachable.