October 2022

[David M]

I'd have been equally overjoyed to see that, Jack.

Commas (like Small Tortoiseshells) have decided to take a break during this late summer of 2022. I hope we'll see plenty more next spring.

[millerd]

22 butterflies of 8 species on my local patch today (8th), including a surprise couple of female Brimstones. There was also the welcome sight of a Comma, which as David mentions has been an infrequent occurrence this autumn.

Common Blues are still in evidence (five males today), and a few Hollies as well.

The photo of the Holly Blue is from yesterday, as they weren't playing ball today.

Of five Red Admirals seen, two were flying strongly at lowish treetop height (if that makes sense...) directly towards the sun - this could well be the southerly autumn migration in progress. One of the others was nectaring, probably in preparation for a similar journey.

Small White, Large White and Speckled Wood were the other species seen.

Cheers,

Dave

[PhilBJohnson]

October Flowering Buddleia & October 9th

In July & August, during and after hot dry period, some buddleias had not flowered very profusely, as they seasonally might have done another year. Cutting the first spent flowers off (“dead heading”) helped these bushes put more energy into having another go at flowering.
A Brimstone butterfly in October, out of, or before hibernation, was not really confronted by a sexed up, “ferocious” male white butterfly, so was left to feed.
October 8th Private Wildlife Garden
Small White 1
Brimstone 1 or 2 (male)

October 9th Local Patch
Windier than 8th but “butterfly flight sighting window” around lunch time.
Peacock 1 or 2
Small White 1
Speckled Wood 1
(might be my last sighting of 2022) in cooler Lincolnshire.

[Deborah]

Still mild temperatures in Brittany. I have 10 Swallowtail caterpillars on my Fennel. Some skin shedding overnight which I’ve never seen before. One is more advanced than the rest having changed to what I think (?) is 4th instar. The rest have changed/are changing into 3rd instar if I’m correct. The discarded skins are close-by.
Wondering if perhaps one at least might make it to pupate if the weather holds up.

[Stevieb]

Down to only one Small Copper this lunchtime. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire

Small Copper x 1
Speckled Wood x 5
Small White x 1

10th October

10th October

10th October

[David M]

Sunday 2nd, Port Eynon, Gower:

Small White 28
Speckled Wood 12
Red Admiral 6
Large White 3
Small Copper 1
Painted Lady 1

[Matsukaze]

East Somerset - still Large and Small Whites through the garden fairly regularly, and the odd Speckled Wood. A worrying lack of vanessids though.

[Stevieb]

Still a bit of colour on the common this lunchtime. Bewley Common, Wiltshire

Large White x 1
Small Copper x 2
Red Admiral x 1
Peacock x 1
Comma x 1
Speckled Wood x 7

11th October

11th October

11th October

11th October

11th October

[David M]

Thursday 6th, Linda Vista Gardens, Abergavenny:

Small White 4
Large White 3
Red Admiral 2
Small Copper 1
Speckled Wood 1
Comma 1

[Stevieb]

A couple of relatively fresh coppers this lunchtime. Bewley Common, Wiltshire

12th October

12th October

12th October

12th October

12th October

[millerd]

A brief burst of lunchtime sunshine (on a day that started very chilly and became quite warm) brought out half a dozen butterflies in one sheltered corner of my local patch today: three Holly Blues, two Red Admirals and a very new female Speckled Wood.

The books say Specklies hibernate either as larvae or as pupae - I don't think any round here do so as pupae as I think they all must hatch before Christmas! This would also explain why I don't see the species in any number until quite late in the spring.

Cheers,

Dave

[Vince Massimo]

A walk along the Lancing seafront today produced 4 Small White and 7 Red Admiral. Two of the Admirals were very busy egg-laying.

Red Admiral egg - Lancing, Sussex 12-Oct-2022

An enormous larva was also found feeding on Bindweed and assumed to be that of a Convolvulus Hawk-moth, this being around 85mm long. Checking for images on the internet, it seems that the larvae of this species are extremely variable in colour, but some good matches were found, but happy to be corrected.

Convolvulus Hawk-moth larva - Lancing, Sussex 12-Oct-2022

Vince

[Allan.W.]

Yes Vince ,Very nice ! there have been a lot of Convolvolous Hawks turning up in the local traps .................... Not mine unfortunately ! and earlier in the year Striped Hawks as well !
Nice find !
Allan.W.

[Vince Massimo]

Brilliant! thanks Allan

Vince

[Stevieb]

Small Coppers still around late this afternoon plus a nibbled Speckled Wood. Bewley Common, Wiltshire

13th October

13th October

13th October

13th October

[Allan.W.]

BUGS !
Very little to report locally ,butterfly-wise ,my usual Autumn walks in Orlestone .........ended abruptly about ten days ago ,when all the rides /open areas were mown flat ..................So any hope of Autumn butterflies came to a quick end ! the local circuits also seem completely devoid of butterflies ! And then after two and a half years of avoiding the dreaded lurgy (Covid ) the whole family came down in one foul swoop ..........me first ! Luckily i,m past the worst now and just had to get out yesterday ,so decided to visit Dungeness ,and keep away from everyone !
Thought i,d try to find the very attractive (and pretty scarce !) Ornate Shield bug ..........a few have been reported close to the observatory .

Also around in the same open area of scrubland were quite a few of the Ornates close relatives ,Brassica bugs along with numerous Nymphs.

As i was wandering around ,head down ,i hadn,t realised that i,d been joined by the obs; warden (Dave Walker ) and i warned him to keep his distance
as i was on the last knockings of Covid ,he asked me if i,d found any Shieldbugs ,and that he,d show me a "few" Firebugs in the Obs ; garden ,couldn,t quite believe what i was seeing .....................there were hundreds !

But David had saved the best till last .............an extremely rare Shieldbug ...................the very tiny "Petite Shieldbug" known only from the shingle at Dungeness . unfortunately never got a pic of this one !

Allan.W.

[millerd]

That's quite a collection of bugs, Allan - somehow appropriate considering the more famous one you'd just gone down with... Glad to hear you're recovering.

A bit of sun locally tempted me out late morning today - though it didn't last. It wasn't cold (17/18 degrees), and the burst of sunshine had obviously tempted one or two butterflies out as well. The third brood of Holly Blues here seems quite numerous this year: I saw two, of which this fresh individual is one. The other was much more worn.

Not such a good year for autumn Red Admirals, with only one seen today.

There was also a single Common Blue still battling on over on the grassland area.

A Large White flyby completed the day's tally.

Dave

[Matsukaze]

A Red Admiral gliding above the heads of oblivious shoppers on Wells high street today.

[Allan.W.]

Thanks Dave !.................past the worst now !
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

Saturday 8th, Southgate, Gower:

Small White 9
Green Veined White 1
Small Copper 1