www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Great set of shots Pauline - interesting to see that you've captured a couple of Blues that are missing the 'cell spot' on the fore wing underside -I've not seen one like that before and you've bagged a couple

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

I wondered if anyone would notice - I should have known that you would Wurzel

Today it was the turn of the Dingies to get some attention (still no SSB's). I watched a couple of females egg-laying but achieving an image of the eggs was challenging:
Presumably this one was laid earlier:

SSB's at Bramshott have been a mystery to me for years now. I wouldn't like to try to estimate how many hours I have spent on my hands and knees at this site looking (unsuccessfully) for larva. Now it is the pupa which has me puzzled. Where are they????? In not very many more days this site will be teeming with SSB so where will they have come from???? There are no ant hills and hardly any heather on this atypical site and for the last couple of years it has been mown almost to the bare earth. This has left me scrabbling around in leaf litter and old rabbit burrows, at the base of brambles and anywhere else that seems likely. Perhaps if I see one newly emerged this might give me a clue but to achieve that I need to spend as much time there as possible - just as well it is my closest site at only 4 mins away. I made my second brief visit of the day late afternoon and at last caught up with the worn Painted Lady that has been teasing me over recent days:
and was pleased to see a Green Tiger Beetle which means the SSB's will hopefully not be far behind (I usually see them in May at this site):
Such stunning colours!

The last photo is great - definitely showing some disco pink!

Glad you like it Katrina. I've taken shots of them before but couldn't resist taking a few more just because I love the colours

STILL no SSB around so today it was the turn of the Painted Ladies (yes, there were more than one) to be scrutinised today. As I watched and followed them around they peppered the thistles across the common with eggs. Great to see

Taking a well earned rest:
a bit of sustenance:
and then they were good to go again:

Great to see the Painted Ladies Pauline I've seen a few myself over the last few days including some fresher looking individuals - perhaps they had an easier run across the Channel or hopped onto a ferry?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Cheers Wurzel. Whilst following the Ladies I stumbled across these Dingies which seem to be having a good year round here. Interesting to see the size difference between male and female:
The Blues that I was able to find were all male and of the common variety with the exception of this 'blue' female:

A lot of activity on the common between 4.30 and 5.30 this evening. A few more Common Blues are making an appearance along with more of those very attractive blue females:
and as a consequence mating pairs:
Most species seen were egg-laying and this included about half a dozen Green Hairstreaks. A couple were in reasonable condition:
but the rest resembled something like this:
I almost managed an open-winged shot:
The Painted Ladies were back for more egg-laying - as was a Red Admiral which weaved skillfully through clumps of nettles - haven't seen one of them for a while. I was a little surprised to encounter a Grizzled Skipper as I don't see many on this site but I there were bucket loads of Dingy Skippers who are obviously having a good year:
Small Copper were also seen together with a female Brimstone and a White in the distance. Last but not least was my first Mother Shipton moth of the season:

Great sequence of shots Pauline - that slatey looking female Common Blue from two posts back looks gorgeous That first Greenstreak also looks in surprisingly good nick even though this season has been a late starter

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Pauline wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 8:02 pm...Whilst following the Ladies I stumbled across these Dingies which seem to be having a good year round here..

Yes, Pauline, they are unusually prominent closer to where I am too.

I saw my first on 25 April, and by early June they are usually practically spent. However, that cold period which lasted for most of May seems to have delayed emergence of those that hadn’t escaped the pupal case by the early May bank Holiday, and it suddenly seems time has gone back by several weeks because there appear to be fresh Dingies everywhere.

The fact you saw a mating pair in June tells us all that something a little strange has happened, but I guess so long as they complete their life cycle successfully, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s late April or the first week of June!!

Cheers Wurzel - these female Common Blue aberrants are fascinating me and at the risk of being a bit repetitive more images of them today. I only wish my photos did them justice but sadly that is not the case.

There are still many fresh Dingies around here David and it will be interesting to see how long they can hang on for now that we have a very warm spell forecast. One from today:
My local common never seems to disappoint at this time of year and for several years now I have been reporting on the aberrant female Common Blues which emerge at the same time as the males, followed much later by the brown variety. I think these aberrants are stunning so a few more shots from today:

I wasn't really interested in much else tbh but for the 3rd day in a row this Painted Lady was laying eggs on just about every thistle:
and for the first time this season I saw a Silver Y moth:

You can never have too many images of a butterfly that beautiful Pauline, and although it’s probably impossible to do her justice, I think your photos are brilliant! Also really enjoying your updates on immature stages as ever.

Some lovely female Common Blues there Pauline. Not sure that I would call them abs though as they seem to fall within what is becoming normal variation these days. I am certainly seeing many more very blue females than I used to. I wonder if this is to to do with climate change or some other factor is involved.

Cheers,

Neil.

Don't encourage me Ben - I've got dozens of shots of Common Blue in various shades of Blue Really appreciate your comment and there will be plenty more content comprising immature stages over coming weeks.

You've given me plenty to think about Neil One definition of Ab is 'a characteristic that deviates from the normal type'. Definition of variation ' the occurrence of an organism in more than one distinct colour or form'. So yes, these blue females which occur very frequently here now in varying degrees of blue/grey would seem to fall into the 'variation' category but looking at various reference books and websites (including this one) they are still classified as Aberrations (and many different types exist). I had tentatively thought that at least one of my images fell into the class of Ab Caerulea and perhaps Supra-caerulea. If anyone can explain and clarify I would appreciate some guidance on the difference and how I should be referring to these images in the future?? Ab or variation?

Really lovely ' blue ' female Common Blues.
It's the brown ones that are less common these days!.

Stay safe and well,
Trevor.

Beautiful common blues

It's kind of you to say so Trevor. The interesting thing on this site at least is that the blue females emerge at the same time as the males and the brown females appear later. I had thought that someone would know if these are Abs. I was particularly interested to identify the first blue in my last post as she was a stunner.

Thank you so much Katrina - you too are taking some excellent shots.

This is the time of year when I put myself up for some public humiliation - yes, after seeing all the day flying moths on the common I decided it was time to dust off the moth trap. I hope some kind soul can help with ID's and save me hours of research. The first moth I am unable to identify is this one. It was possibly the largest moth in the trap:
I am really keen to know what this moth is as I think this is the one that has laid about 60 eggs in the trap. Here are a few of them:
Will it be possible to rear them? What would the food plant be? Will they be fertile? It would be a shame for them to go to waste.

Next up is one I have had before and know and love - the Poplar Hawk-moth:
A Pebble Hook-tip is not one I have come across but visually interesting:
I believe this one is a Light Emerald:
The next one looks like a Coxcomb Prominent but could be wrong as it's not a Prominent I have recorded. Not sure what is going on with my camera but it has started to produce some quite garish colours, particularly when the background is green, which I have been trying to avoid:
Now this is where it starts to get tricky. Don't know what these two are:
Last but not least was this lovely moth. I first thought Sallow Kitten but now I am not sure - some other sort of Kitten perhaps?

A lovely variety in your recent posts Pauline, a real feast for the eyes, particularly that 'blue' female Common Blue in your second from last post. Love the Dingy egg too

Hi Pauline
My guesses at the moths for i.d.

1.. Fox moth
Last two.. Knot Grass and Pale Tussock.

Cheers

Maurice

I'm no help when it comes to moths, but you've just put me off getting a moth trap.
If I got results like that I'd be up all night!. Simply stunning.

Stay well,
Trevor.