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Unusual Brown Hairstreak.
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:03 pm
by mvpike
Alners Gorse in Dorset just keeps on popping up some amazing surprises! I was treated to my best day ever for Brown Hairstreaks today, 10 in all (2 females/8 males) but these two stood out from the crowd!
A basking female was totally oblivious that she was keeping company with a Yellow Legged Clearwing moth! An amazing moment!
One male Brown Hairstreak was exceptionally pale in colour and never seen one quite like it before, not sure if it is an aberration but certainly looks like it. I have included a normal male for comparison also photographed today.
Mark.
Re: Unusual Brown Hairstreak.
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:36 pm
by David M
That's a combo that'll take some beating, MV. Great stuff.
Yes, the male is abnormally pallid but I've come across these myself a couple of times.
Re: Unusual Brown Hairstreak.
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 5:24 pm
by mvpike
At first I thought it was a longhorn beetle and was cursing it for being in the way, but was amazed to see it was a clearwing - - - and then started cursing the Hairstreak!
Mark.
Re: Unusual Brown Hairstreak.
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:05 pm
by Allan.W.
Thats brilliant MV ,certainly something you don,t see every day,i,ve only ever seen 1 clearwing without the use of a lure,
and to get one in the same shot as a Brown Hair;......................Amazing ! Nice one !
Regards Allan.W.
Re: Unusual Brown Hairstreak.
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:15 pm
by zigzag_wanderer
On the clearwing shot, the female Brown Hairstreak has her antennae held pretty gun-barrel straight together.
Is that quite a common position for them on butterflies at rest ?
Can't say I've noticed them like that, but to be brutally honest and frank I've not been looking that closely.
Re: Unusual Brown Hairstreak.
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:23 pm
by mvpike
That is a good question, didn't even notice it when I took the shot. . . .
Mark
Re: Unusual Brown Hairstreak.
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:37 pm
by David M
I think it's pretty commonplace. I've seen (and photographed) them with their antennae in that position a few times. Commas are another species that seem to do this regularly.
Re: Unusual Brown Hairstreak.
Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2020 8:07 am
by Neil Freeman
Over the years, I've seen quite a few species resting with their antennae like that.
Great shot with the Yellow-legged Clearwing. I have had a few of these to a pheromone lure in my garden recently but never seen one out in the field. That has to be a unique shot to have those two species together like that
.
That pale looking male is a lovely looking butterfly as well
Cheers,
Neil.