I value your comments Paul -thank you.
Hairstreaks captivate me David; when fresh the colours are spectacular but do tend to fade. I was lucky enough last year to see a newly emerged WLH in the wild and it just shimmered gold in the morning sun. Thank you for your comment and observations.
I wonder if anyone can answer a few questions:
1. The previous shot of a caterpillar which I could not identify, having looked at Pete's photos on this site I am fairly sure it is a Speckled Wood. However, it appeared to be feeding on Honeysuckle and there is no mention of this as being the food plant of Speckled Wood so I wonder whether it is in fact something else?
2. Likewise, I have been trying to find out what the little golden package is on the silken thread. It looks a bit like an egg but whose egg? Or perhaps it is something completely different?
3. Can anyone identify this which appeared on the Blackthorn where I am rearing the Black Hairstreaks. At first I thought it was one of the cats turning into a pupa but it hasn't changed for some days now:
4. The last PH whose emergence I recorded I assumed was a female because of the vividness of the colours. However, is it actually a male?
Any suggestions would be welcome.