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Hi, does anyone want to have a stab at what this plant might be? looks a bit like Salad Burnet Sanguisorba sp. The reason I ask is because I watched a Duchess very deliberately lay an egg on it. Unfortunately there were too many blades of grass in the way to get a picture and I disturbed her in the process of trying to get a clearer view. However she did have enough time to lay one egg. It wasn't a case of landing on a Cowslip and the egg accidentally ending up on this plant either, there were no Cowslips close by (the closest one was 10 or 12 inches away). As you can see there's no shortage of Cowslips on the slope she was flying around on!

It doe,s look like Salad Burnet .............if not could be Agrimony . Allan.W.

Definitely Agrimony... I've never seen Dukes laying on that before

I’d agree with Agrimony, which is not a known foodplant:

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/ ... ort=Family

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks for the plant ID. I agree with Agrimony. As to what she was thinking? Maybe she had been watching Grizzled Skippers

Another plant for ID: This was at Kithurst today.

Duke Caterpillars go to the base of the foodplant during the day and feed at night, so would find cowslips/primrose if its in the turf. DGFs PBFs etc do not lay on the foodplant but often put an egg nearby to it. SWFs also on Wood. The female egglaying pic shows cowslip very near. If it had been on my site i would have marked the plants and monitored the eggs/larvae.

I have seen Brimstones many times egglay on Dogwood/Privet, and been told i should have monitored them. Also when we found Brown Hairstreak eggs on Hawthorn when we had to rescue the Kent BHs a few years back, the eggs were wired back onto Blackthorn, we should have put them on Hawthorn and also monitored them.

When eggs hatch often the larvae will wander a lot until they settle on the correct foodplant, ive seen this many times before, they have about a day before it gets critical for them.

MrSp0ck wrote: ↑Wed May 17, 2023 6:48 am Duke Caterpillars go to the base of the foodplant during the day

Not in the first two instars, in my experience. Although I expect the larva will eventually wander to find what it needs ... or perish!

Cheers,

- Pete

Pete Eeles wrote: ↑Wed May 17, 2023 4:30 pm

MrSp0ck wrote: ↑Wed May 17, 2023 6:48 am Duke Caterpillars go to the base of the foodplant during the day

Not in the first two instars, in my experience. Although I expect the larva will eventually wander to find what it needs ... or perish!

Cheers,

- Pete

That particular field is a carpet of yellow from the density of Cowslip, they won't need to wander far.