www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi Pauline

The hornets are a pain. I used to get them at the previous place but not had one here.
I.d.'s my guestimates.
Top may be Mottled Beauty
Middle.. Too worn
Bottom Rhyacionia pinicolana

I had a couple of Jersey Tiger moths here last night. Get them every other time I trap.

Cheers

Maurice

Hi Pauline,

Good to see the moth trap has been out.

I don't get hornets in my trap fortunately...but then again I don't get Buff-tips either

I agree with Lesser Swallow Prominent.
Your description of Ruby tiger sounds about right.
I would go for Willow Beauty for your worn one...I think I can just make out the conjoined cross lines.

Cheers,

Neil.

Thank you Maurice, Neil for your ID's. I really appreciate that. You may remember a year ago I reared a Puss moth larva:
It seemed to be taking so long to emerge from the pupal casing I was getting worried. It seemed to be rattling around inside and I wondered if it had got too dry and died. It took some effort but I managed to get the pupa out of its 'construction'. It wasn't easy. No wonder they use formic acid to cut it open. Thankfully it was still wriggling so I took a shot of it beside the Pine Hawk moth pupa to compare (the puss moth is the smallest):
I had it in a cage with the Dukes and tonight when I went to check on them I realised I must have just missed the emergence:
Worth waiting for

Having been away for a few weeks Pauline I had to catch up your thread. That was a real roller-coaster of a ride starting as I did with that Devon Wildlife post and the links through to some serious unpleasantness.

Then I went through pink grasshopers, tortoises, turtle doves, trapped hedgehogs, ladybird flies, adders, the challenges of Duke rearing. That really has been a very enjoyable last ½ an hour. Thank you.

My pleasure Otep. I try to keep things fresh and interesting- even if it means going off topic once in a while

Seeing as it was Friday yesterday, all the tradesmen packed up early and went off to play golf. That was my cue to grab my camera and get out away from the kettle! A late afternoon walk on Noar Hill was lovely and as before it was teeming with butterflies. There must have been at least 60 Peacocks, possibly more, as everywhere I looked this was the view:
They have even recruited them to publicise the reserve:
Having spent much of the season struggling to find a butterfly to photograph it was now difficult to know where to point the camera:
As I was leaving, far in the distance I saw 3 guys heading towards the reserve. One had a huge pole and another carried a bag. Oh, no, I thought - not again, not here . Thankfully, as they came closer they looked more like a film crew. I just had to ask them what they were up to. Apparently, they do a series of podcasts called Living Beeing (worth a look). They had a queen in a container (called a comet I believe) and they had located some drones on Noar Hill who would swarm around once they could smell the queen (guess a bit like lures for moths). Anyway, it all sounded very interesting - did you know that to create a pound of honey a colony of honey bees must visit 2 million flowers?

I love the fact that your life seems to be 24/7 wildlife and your appreciation of it. I didn't know that honey bee fact and it fried my brain thinking about it and how it was calculated.

Otep wrote: ↑Sat Jul 18, 2020 2:23 pm I love the fact that your life seems to be 24/7 wildlife

I wish! Would it disappoint you Otep to know that I have just as much mundane stuff to deal with as everyone else? If you stay around long enough you will see that I 'bow out' each winter to paint gates, fences, undertake repairs and maintenance, gardening etc etc. However, I do try to squeeze in as much as I can and give everything 100%. I am pretty shattered tonight having sat around doing nothing for most of the weekend except wait to see one of the Dukes pupate I saw one pupate a few nights ago but it was pitch black and I couldn't get any shots. It was over in about 3 minutes as the larva writhed around violently shaking off his skin. This time it was a much more sedate affair lasting all of 14 minutes which just shows how inconsistent behaviour is between individuals. Just because you have seen something happen once doesn't mean that it will always happen in the same way. Anyway, here's the results. The larva lies like this for about 3 days (very vulnerable) to all intents and purposes dead except for the odd muscle contraction if an insect lands on it:
For a couple of hours before pupation, increasingly strong muscle contractions can be detected at varying intervals before the main event:
Just one more transition to record now - but not for a while.

A few shots from the garden over the weekend. I discovered a Comma has been laying on my little Elm so it will be interesting watching these 1st Instars grow:
Small Whites are egg laying all over but I am not sure I shall be doing an egg count!
Sadly, one hadn't fared too well. I found it in the grass - a bit short on wings and unable to fly. During the course of the day I put it on various nectar sources which it seemed to enjoy:
The Grey Dagger which I borrowed from a friend's garden now seems to be in final instar:

Have just been watching masses of Chalkhill Blues. Bumped into Roy S who had counted over 100 on this small site but out of all of these I could only find 3 females all in cop. Newly emerged butterflies were being pounced on by the males before their wings were dry - and not just the females. Time and again I watched as males tried to mate with males. It was all very frenetic and not something I have noticed before. Is this common behaviour that I have just previously overlooked? or not been in the right place at the right time?
Gosh! Haven't I got hairy arms They don't look that bad in 'real life' - honest!

I've seen Chalkhill Blues behaving as you describe, Pauline, with males leaping upon other (freshly emerged) males. I posted a video of this once, but I don't know if it's still here anywhere. I think it's to do with the pheremones released when the new butterflies emerge - the chemicals from new males must resemble those from new females, thereby causing confusion. I've seen this with Common Blues as well, but not to the extent that I've seen it with Chalkhills.

Cheers,

Dave

I must have missed your video Dave but that was the conclusion I had come to. The pheremones also seemed to be having an effect on other species in the location as at one point these Whites had this newly emerged male pinned to the ground and pursued him relentlessly:
The first time this type of behaviour came to my attention was in 2012 when a DGF became very excited at a mating pair of Meadow Brown and seemed intent either on separating them or joining in. I could never decide which!

I like to have a plan in mind when I go out with my camera but sometimes you just have to go with whatever is there. Today it was a Small Copper that kept me company for a while:
It is quite a while since I have seen so many butterflies at Noar Hill. Peacocks for sure, but probably as many Whites and a huge number of Gatekeepers who caused my heart to beat fast more than once, and a whole host of others:
but the best I could do with DGF from about half a mile away was
Some of the Ash isn't in great condition here (Ash die back) which just adds to my concerns for the BH:
As I was meandering back to the car I stopped to take a shot in both directions:

Cracking set of posts recently Pauline The stand out butterfly for me though has to be the second shot down from your Chalkhill post - the female, a blinder of a shot and the markings on her - sublime

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

It's a great time of the year, isn't it Pauline? Lots of stuff about, lots of things to see...

That grassy ride looks just fabulous. Good luck with the Brown Hairstreaks; they are out because I've seen one today.

Cheers Wurzel - with time running out I'm trying to squeeze in as much as possible.

It's lovely David but also the time when I start to take stock. Today I have mixed feelings.

Plans for yesterday changed at short notice when I received an email to inform me that there was a Clouded Yellow on Noar Hill. It was not difficult to find but trying to pin it down (bad choice of words ) was another matter. The closest I got to anything yellow was this:
Whilst waiting for it to re-appear (which it did several times) I spent some enjoyable time looking at other stuff:
I decided to give it another try today and sure enough, same place, same time but it was still zooming round without stopping. At this rate it will be so worn before I get a photo it won't be worth it! (just like that DGF above ). I did find a very nice moth tho' - no surprise that I can't identify it but the best I can come up with is Celypha lacunana?
Back home in the garden I noticed my roses are being decimated by these creatures. Presumably some sort of Sawfly? Should they be left or disposed of?

I know what you mean about the Cloudy Pauline I had one at Shipton that was exactly the same - mind you most things seem more flighty this year - it' been hard work at times I reckon your moth is a Dusky Sallow (Eremobia ochroleuca)

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

I missed you at Noar Hill today somehow, Pauline! I arrived at nine and left around half one I think. I did see the Clouded Yellow - if it was the same one, it was a female with a damaged hindwing. I'm pretty sure it was laying on the trefoil plants so there could be some local ones appear in early September. (I have a shot of that very same moth, too! )

A great shame not to have seen you.

Cheers,

Dave

Hi! Pauline, any thing that may damage Roses is a get rid of I spray mine with some Fairy Liquid and water it doesn't always kill them but they don't stay a round for long Off back home on Sunday Goldie

Hi Pauline, your rose-eaters are Large Rose sawflies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arge_pagana . I will let you decide how to deal with them.

Brilliant effort on getting the Duke pupation sequence. I will be adding it to the album soon, but am a bit behind at the moment.

Vince

Thank you for that ID Wurzel - much appreciated

Hi Dave - reckon the reason you didn't see me was because I didn't get there until after 2.30pm and I was gone before 4pm. Perhaps it was just as well as you are always so well groomed and I usually look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards! My paint stained jeans are now disintegrating into rags (but I'm told ripped knees are fashionable! ). Seriously, wish you'd told me you were planning to be there and I'd have put the kettle on (had loads of practice at that recently ). I think there may be 2 Clouded Yellows there as I am pretty sure the one I have seen 2 days running was an immaculate male. Looking forward to seeing your moth.

I'm afraid I have taken your advice M. Have a safe trip back and I'll give you a call soon to catch up.

I'm so pleased you liked the pupation sequence Vince - not something I'll ever do again. It has been a fascinating and educational experience but not always enjoyable to wait for hours and hours. Don't know where you get all your patience from - massive respect.