Pauline

[bailey1409]

Hi Pauline

The penultimate moth is a Shuttle-shaped Dart and the last one is a Pale Tussock.

I had my trap out last night and had my best total so far this year. Just send the Puss moth my way, please.

Cheers

Maurice

[Pauline]

Morning Maurice

Thank you for the ID's - much appreciated. I did look at one of my books but I am sat here with a fractured tooth waiting for a dental appointment later today and finding concentration difficult! Anyway, when I released her about 9.30pm last night, I pointed her in your direction and whispered your address to her

As you can see, taking shots in the dark is something else I can't do so my favourite shot has to be:

The first Purple Hairstreak has now started to pupate so before the others follow suit a few recent shots:

[bailey1409]

HI Pauline

The Puss moth is a beauty. I had one, and my only one, ten years ago. I'll let you know when the next one arrives.

Cheers

Maurice

[bugboy]

I'll have to go and try and re-find my wild Purple Hairstreak cat next weekend.

[millerd]

The camouflage of those Purple Hairstreak caterpillars when they are on the buds is phenomenal. Is it right that they drop to the ground to pupate? I've tried to imagine walking beneath a large oak tree at the right moment and being showered by little fat caterpillars... I imagine it happens at night.

Dave

[Pauline]

Given the size, markings and colouration, it certainly is an impressive insect Maurice and I was delighted to find it in the trap. If it's likely to be another 10 years before you get another one I sincerely hope you'll be in touch again before then!

You may well be too late Buggy!

What a sight that would be Dave . I have reared PH twice now and to the best of my knowledge ie what I have witnessed, is the larva climbing down the branch to pupate in soil/leaf litter. However, is it possible that they do drop from the tree? Some of those Oaks are very tall and it is a long way to climb down, but then it is also a long way to fall and risk injury. They have a remarkable ability, as you have noted, to blend in with the background so presumably that is an advantage if they do make the long trip down the trunk where they would be quite exposed and vulnerable otherwise.

When I got back from the dentist yesterday this was the sight that met me:

I was neither surprised nor disappointed. I had expected the butterfly to emerge any time soon (they are much easier to predict than the Hairstreaks!); I have also reared this species before and managed some shots of it emerging previously. Nevertheless, I could see that the second butterfly was about to emerge so I slightly delayed my plans for today hoping to see the emergence and get a few shots. I didn't have long to wait:

If you should happen to read this Downland Boy it was good to meet you today and I very much enjoyed chatting to you both.

[millerd]

Beautiful shots of the emerging Commas, Pauline. The question is: are they hutchinsoni or the normal form?

Dave

[Wurzel]

Fantastic sequence Pauline It;s interesting to see that they emerge with their proboscis extended I suppose that way it fits into the pupal case easier.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Blimey Dave! You don't half ask me some difficult questions Seriously, it's good to have a little think about these things. I'd always thought that Hutchinsoni were the Spring version which by definition go on to produce the summer brood. I know they are supposed to be paler whereas these recent individuals looked very vibrant - which I initially put down to being quite fresh. Nevertheless, I looked back at some I had reared 15 months ago in September and they were all very pale. Below is an example - it's not the palest by any means but Vince thought the palest one was an ab.

By comparison, here are a few more shots of the recent ones before they flew off:

Yeah, that's interesting isn't it Wurzel. I noticed it in 2015 (below) - your reasoning seems pretty sound to me

Now, is it just me Wurzel or can you see a mask in this pupa?

[Goldie M]

Another series of fantastic shots Pauline, I'm still taking it easy here, hope I see some thing I havant got this year like the BHS and WHS Goldie

[bugboy]

No question in my mind that you have a hutchinsoni there

[Pauline]

Thank you Goldie. You're very wise to take it easy especially in this heat.

Cheers for the confirmation Buggy

Having worked my socks off for 13 hours at 5.00pm I decided it was time for a break. The breeze was quite strong but that didn't matter as I was setting off to monitor my Duke eggs which should have hatched by now. Sadly, there was no sign of them. No empty eggs, no feeding damage, so eaten I expect. I found several more eggs with ease but all singletons:

The second one I found was rather more interesting because, if I'm not mistaken, it is possible to see the larva inside:

Eventually, I found what I was looking for - a first instar Duke:

Just to give some size perspective this is a more distant shot of the small leaf he was on:

Despite my remarks last year I am not totally uninterested in orchids (how could I be with this site on my doorstep) so I stopped to take a shot of the Fly orchid and its paler form:

and then I came across a second instar Duke larva:

During the search I saw several of these but not sure what they are:

.... and also this Musk orchid:

Having reared Green Hairstreaks over the last year I was keen to see how they were faring in the wild this year. After some searching I was delighted to spot this little creature. Going by my shots of them last year this little fella can't be much more than 24 hours old. His egg was close by but couldn't get them both in the same shot. Pity!:

[MrSp0ck]

The larva is a burnet moth larva, expect it to be six-spot, as i think 5 spots are on the wing now.

[MikeOxon]

I always enjoy your emergence sequences and am also pleased to see your orchid photos. That pale form of the Fly Orchid is very unusual and a variant that I have not seen - I think it is the form known as luteomarginata. I know how difficult is to spot those tiny Musk Orchids and think you have done a good job of photographing them down amongst the grasses

[Pauline]

Thanks for that Martin - I'll try to remember for the future

Hi Mike, I would like to say that you'd better get down here pronto but there would be little point - the orchids have been largely eaten by snail or slugs and the only parts which were still intact (perhaps no longer ) are the bits in my photo. I paid the price for those photos with yet more ticks I have now taken to wearing disposable gloves when I go there Thank you for your kind comment.

The weather forecast today was dull/showers/thunder/heavy rain with perhaps some bright interludes. On the spur of the moment I decided that this would be perfect weather to get some shots of SPBF. My best shots in the past have nearly always been in the rain, especially 2012! I arrived before 9.00am and was surprised to see a couple of guys already there as it still seemed a little cloudy for butterflies. Nevertheless, they informed me that they had seen a really fresh SPBF at the other end of the sight. I set off in that direction but for some reason I turned around to see one of the guys collecting something in a cardboard tube. He seemed really pleased and after ensuring the lid was secure he put it in his bag. They had no nets. I was very curious but didn't pursue it. It was already warm and as the sun (???) broke through the clouds several worn PBF flew past.

There seemed to be loads of moths including this Pale Tussock which I have never seen during the day and what I believe is a Straw Dot, but no Argent and Sable:

By now there were quite a few more folk on site including a walk led by Ashley (nice to see you again) but really not many butterflies. I had seen both male and female Grizzled Skipper, Speckled Wood, Dingy Skipper but very few SPBF:

There were lots of Dragon Flies including these which I think are male and female Broad-bodied Chasers but what stunning colours:

I was remembering the first time I ever saw a SPBF which was at this site, incredibly as I now know, on the exact same date. It was a while back; before I even started this diary and before Adrian Hoskins started his tours for butterflies abroad. We had driven up full of anticipation and were met by loads of both PBF and SPBF. I listened carefully as he explained the difference to me. How different it was today. In the 2 hours I was there, in high temperatures and much sun, I must have seen 4 different individuals - perhaps 5. I didn't get the underwing shots which I wanted and had to rely a lot on the butterflies nectaring on the Ragged Robin - that's about all there was for them

It may be some time before I return.

[millerd]

Nice shots of the Small Pearls, Pauline. I haven't tried to see them yet this year - I might miss out at this rate. As ever, the shots of the various larvae are most impressive considering how minute they are.
Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Pauline, just catching up on a few diaries after spending most of my evenings recently trying to ID various moths from my trap.

Jealous of your Puss Moth, I haven't seen one yet this year although I had one last year. Beautiful moths in the flesh and surprisingly large.

Great sequence of Comma images too

Cheers,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Pauline, love the shots of the Pearls and the Comma's, hope fully I'll get to see the SBF if the weather changes this week. Goldie

[Wurzel]

That's still a very good under wing of the SPBF Pauline, I'd have that one in my collection Were these Small Pearls at Bentley Wood?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

You might miss out big time Dave as I get the impression that the SPBF are hanging on by a thread in Hants. Thank you for the compliments especially re larva as they can be tricky!

Thank you too Neil - I am glad you liked the Comma. No need to be jealous tho' - that was the first Puss moth I had ever seen so you are already ahead of me, again!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Goldie - thank you for your comment.

That's really kind of you to say so Wurzel. It's not bad I suppose - just not the shot I wanted - and yeah, Eastern Clearing. I know some folk have seen double the number of SPBF I saw but that's still not many

Well, SSB now out on my patch (just a few males) - It's an 'early' site and last year were out 4 June but don't think I've seen them in May before. A few images on the way back from Sainsbury's this morning: