Pauline

[Pauline]

Well Buggy, as it happens I did have a hand lens on me but I can honestly say I have never ever used it to closely examine the 'bits' of a male Amazing insect tho' and thank you for the compliment

That's certainly true Wurzel - I certainly haven't noticed the usual 'June gap' this year as there seems to be so much going on . Given the choice, for me, it would be the Lulworth's every time, possibly because they come in the best surroundings. You were very lucky to grow up in that area Thank you for your comment.

You've already seen some new and exciting species David and very nice shots you got of them too Looking forward to seeing which ones you choose to pursue next

Early Saturday evening I decided to check out the Duke larva at Noar Hill. I have given up on the couple of eggs that I mentioned in my last update as there is still no change. Likewise, all those eggs that Mike discovered appear to have been predated as there are no signs of feeding damage nearby and with so many little mouths I would have thought this would be obvious by now. I then checked my original 6 (where I got the first shot of the larva). There was no sign of any larva but a great deal more evidence of feeding which I took as a good sign, thinking perhaps that I was just too early in the evening. Interestingly, there was an egg on the leaf where I saw the larva which wasn't there last week:

As feeding damage is becoming much more apparent now I decided to try again to locate the eggs that Andy found and sure enough there were a couple of leaves with feeding damage. When I turned over the leaf I was delighted to see this little one chomping away:

Just as I adjusted the angle of the tripod to try to get these shots, it suddenly, literally, fell into 3 bits (it has been on its way out for a while ) jarring the camera, which then refused to work. Recently, the camera batteries seem to lose their charge suddenly and rapidly so one is always on charge and I don't have a third. I returned home hoping that it was indeed the battery rather than the camera and this thankfully proved to be the case. So, it was back to Noar Hill where the above shots were finally taken.

Whilst there I checked the Brimstones. I was initially concerned as I couldn't find any of them but all 3 have moved to new leaves and are safe and sound - for now anyway:

The camouflage is incredible!

[Pauline]

I had a lovely walk around MHD yesterday and I was very pleased to see how well the Small Blue appear to be doing. Having witnessed some egg-laying earlier I checked out the Kidney Vetch and was delighted to note that virtually every flower head held several eggs (the most I counted on one plant was 5). I seem to remember reading somewhere that eggs were not laid in close proximity but I saw several pairs of eggs although I can't be certain that they were both Small Blue of course.

Today I stayed closer to home and at Bramshott Common the female SSB are now emerging, albeit difficult to find due to the cloud cover and low temperatures (not to mention the wind ):

I also saw what I believe is a Common White Wave - a very attractive moth:

A few more shots of the WA pupa, the similarity between the pupa and the leaves on the left quite obvious, enabling it to blend in:

I would be interested to know if there are any signs, eg, colour changes, which indicates imminent emergence in this species?

[Willrow]

Green on green - a real challenge for your photo skills Pauline, well done on the good results and incidentally I loved your super SSB shots.

Kind Regards,

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[Pauline]

You're really very kind Bill but I am rarely satisfied with my results and to that end I am always open to suggestions for improvement. Most of my photography knowledge has been gained as a result of helpful folk on this site. However, I still seem to have trouble with depth of field and I am not sure whether it is me or my camera - I think it only goes up to about F7.6. (Having said that I have just looked at the EXIF data and this was taken at just 3.7 ) Anyway, I tried again today to get some shots of my DGF pupa and this was the result.

I would be very grateful if anyone could tell me if there are any signs I could look out for as it approaches its time to emerge. This goes for the WA pupa too. It is always difficult to catch them at this time but without any warning it would no doubt be impossible.

[Pauline]

There is absolutely no way onto this site now so I was lucky to find this - just the one - just outside the boundary. I have seen them in the past outside of the site but didn't take much notice of the availability of the food plant. I wonder if there is scope for them to exist outside of the site:

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Pauline, just catching up on your diary, some fantastic stuff in your recent posts. I particularly like the WA pupa, the Silver-studded Blues and the Glanville images

All the best,

Neil.

[bugboy]

You're doing really well with all those early stages this year, very interesting stuff!

Fingers crossed those Glanvilles can hang on and find somewhere safe to breed.

[David M]

Some great larval images again there, Pauline.

Where did you see those Glanvilles?

[Wurzel]

Beautiful Glannie - is that from Wrecclesham - I thought the site had been scraped clear?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Thank you so much Neil. I am particularly fond of my WA having had him for so long - how am I ever going to be able to let him go Seriously, I really hope the timing is right and it doesn't emerge too early - or what's the point!?

I appreciate that Buggy. Not sure what has happened to me but I have become absolutely fascinated with the early stages - currently have a few at home but equally interested in monitoring in the wild where possible.

Thank you David. There is a great sense of achievement in finding these tiny creatures in the wild but it is equally frustrating not knowing what has happened to them when they can no longer be found.

Yes Wurzel, the Glanville was from W. but from outside the main boundary. Unless you have a strong pair of wire cutters or the ability to hop over a 7 foot fence (and I possess neither) there is no way in. All the little gaps that the locals used have been wired up and there is much work in progress. I can't imagine that any intrusion would be tolerated. However, I have seen these butterflies in a couple of places, about 10 mins walk away, outside of the main site, but whether I shall have time to check out those areas remains to be seen.

Most will remember my Comma larva of last year which sadly was parasitised:

They are such an interesting and attractive cat that I have wanted to try to rear another one and today I was presented with an opportunity:

I sincerely hope this one will be luckier.

I came across this little Cricket (?) too:

and this wonderful Silver y moth. Having recently read 'seeing butterflies' I am now seeing all manner of creatures in their markings

[Pauline]

Today, with the weather being what it is, I couldn't decide whether to visit the SSB's and take photos of the raindrops on their eyelashes and the lightening lighting up their silver studs - or whether to look for cats In the end I decided to do a bit of both. My first stop was Broxhead - a late site for SSB so I wasn't expecting much. No SSB but lots - really lots - of moths. Some were quite big, so big I couldn't keep up with them but I managed to catch a few smaller ones:

Quite liked this one as it seemed to have little paw marks on it

This one was sparkly and cheerful - just what I needed on a miserable day. The Burnet Companion was present everywhere:

On the topic of moths, this one was in my poultry shed last night. It goes without saying I have no idea what any of them are:

It was then back to the nettle patch. I am not sure if this is a moth but despite the damaged wing it was a pretty impressive and attractive insect:

I had my first ever experience of a click beetle today and gosh, it did make me jump! I didn't get a photo - in fact I only got the briefest of glimpses and couldn't find it again! My focus was now back on the cats and I assume this is the dark form of a Red Admiral cat although I was surprised to find it on thistle as I did not think they strayed from the food plant. In the same area there were another 3 cats (the others were all the cream coloured variety) but without exception they were all out in the open:

There were lots and lots of tiny cats and I am not sure how to tell if they are ST or Peacock but these were 2 lots on the same stem:

... and I must include these from a previous visit as I have never seen anything like them before:

[kevling]

Some nice images of the cats Pauline.
As for the beetles, I'd be wildly guessing that the first one was a Hister Unicolor, but more confident of the second as being a Cardinal Beetle.

Kind Regards
Kev

[William]

Hello Pauline,

Cracking photos, particularly liked the Glanvilles, I never managed to see the ones at Sand Point!

Your moths are:

Peacock
Common Heath
Common Heath
(Burnet Companion)
Small Magpie
Red-Necked Footman

I think the first set of larvae are all Red Admirals, and the second look like Peacock to me, though I'm not 100% sure

BWs,

William

[bugboy]

Hi Pauline, always enjoy reading your PD, always filled with lots of interesting stuff . Your caterpillar eating thistle will be a Painted Lady, the podgy pale one on nettle is indeed a Red Admiral and I would guess, based on the time of year, that the larval mass on the nettles will be Peacocks.

As for your beetles, I believe the black one is one of the Carrion Beetles, family Silphidae and the little green and red one is probably Malachius bipustulatus, related to the Cardinal and Soldier Beetles

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the info Pauline, hopefully they'll still be around next year I was going to have a go at a couple of your moth IDs but William beat me to it - mind you I got the same answers as he offered

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Willrow]

Great detail in your posts Pauline, always makes for interesting and informative reading

Be aware that moths have a way of becoming as addictive as butterflies, as many of us here can tell you...a wonderful way to spend time

Regards,

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[Pauline]

Morning William, Buggy, Kev - thank you for the ID's which are much appreciated; actually knowing what these critters are fuels my enthusiasm to look more carefully in future. I am pleased you find my PD interesting Buggy as I am finding all these new discoveries fascinating.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed Wurzel and if you give me a nudge at the right time of the year I shall check it out and let you know.

Thank you for the compliments Bill - and the warning . I have been trying to avoid being drawn into moths and other stuff for quite some time now but it seems I am fighting a losing battle especially with so many enthusiasts around me

Yesterday, I made what now seems to be becoming a regular event, an early evening trek up Noar Hill. My first stop, as always, was the Brimstone larva, which have grown significantly in the last week - but I could only find 2 instead of the usual 3 . They are very well camouflaged so it could still be there - fingers crossed.

I had not intended to keep checking the 2 Duke eggs which had remained unchanged but this stuff is a little bit compulsive - and they are only a few paces from the Brimstones. They still had not changed but I spotted feeding damage a couple of feet away and when I turned over the leaf, in bright sunshine, I found this little chap having an early supper:

It is a couple of weeks since I checked the Blackthorn where I found the Brown Hairstreak eggs so I thought I would give it another go, although I assumed it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, as everything now is so overgrown with the warmth and the rain. Last year when I reared these cats I lost a fair few to slugs and spent a considerable number of hours searching my little potted Blackthorn to check and count them. As a result, I had a fair idea of what I was looking for but when I eventually found a cat the light was starting to fade. Nevertheless, I was delighted. This was my first ever Brown Hairstreak cat found in the wild!! . Note how well they are camouflaged:

As I had a bit more time on my hands than usual, I decided to check out the plant where Mike found all of the eggs. Sadly, there was still no sign of eggs or feeding damage. However, about 4 foot away, on a plant on the opposite side of the track, I spotted a fair bit of leaf damage and when I turned it over I saw a much larger cat (which I assume is a Duke, although I have little confidence now in being able to ID these tiny creatures). What a buzz I get from these discoveries - it's like finding you have a winning raffle ticket!

[Pete Eeles]

Your caterpillar eating thistle will be a Painted Lady,

I'm not so sure about that - the white spots on the flank are reminiscent of Red Admiral and, if I didn't look at what it was on, would claim it as Red Admiral every time. I can't find any record of Red Admiral larvae using Thistle as the food plant.

Pauline - did you see it feeding? Or, given that you found others nearby and out in the open (I've seen this myself a few times), could it just be a wanderer?

Cheers,

- Pete

[bugboy]

Your caterpillar eating thistle will be a Painted Lady,

Pauline - did you see it feeding? Or, given that you found others nearby and out in the open (I've seen this myself a few times), could it just be a wanderer?

Cheers,

- Pete

Good point, I didn't think about that, I just assumed it was eating the thistle. It does look mature so maybe it had wandered off looking for somewhere other than his tent to pupate in...

[Pauline]

I'm afraid I didn't see the cat eating but I recall seeing a moulted skin very close by. In fact, after these comments I returned to the site to search thistles rather than nettles to see if I could find any sign of feeding, frass - or even more cats, tho' sadly I found nothing . I guess we'll have to conclude RA altho' it was an exciting thought whilst it lasted. On the way back from this little trip I had to pass Broxhead Common and it would have been just rude not to stop off to give my regards to the SSB. They had indeed emerged - I saw 4 fresh males and surprisingly, a very worn looking female in that her white fringes were tatty but she still retained that lovely oily sheen. I am wondering if the torrential rain over Friday night was responsible for the wear and tear as I don't think they have been around that long. A couple of the males tried to mate with her but she was having none of it. I watched as she crawled over the heather and it looked like she was egg-laying, the tip of her abdomen dipping ever so slightly as it pointed directly towards the opening of each bud. In between, she would bask in the sun. Once she had left, I carefully examined the blossom but couldn't find an egg. I would have liked to gently unfurl one of the 'bells' to see if there was indeed an egg inside but decided to curb my curiosity as I was concerned I might cause too much disruption. I know roughly where it is so perhaps it might be worth checking for larva at a later stage. Anyway, a few shots from the visit: