Some other notes on resident butterflies in the Adur area: 1
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:21 pm
Hello,
Some other notes on resident butterflies and moths in the Adur area Part One:
Marbled White Butterfly
Melanargia galathea
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... ed%20White
The main foodplants are Red Fescue (Festuca rubra), Sheep's-fescue (Festuca ovina), Tor-grass (Brachypodium pinnatum) and Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus).
This is a species of long swards and it is common to very common and sometimes abundant on the long grass meadows of Lancing Ring. This is the best area.
It will be discovered on the wildlife meadows and over the shorter sward original chakhill on Mill Hill
It is found on verges in much small numbers notably the Adur Levels and approaches to Southwick Hill
It is scarce on all pastures including Anchor Bottom.
Tor Grass is plentiful on the Lancing Ring meadows and occurs on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. However, on the upper slopes of Mill Hill, the four grasses mentioned above are not predominant. The grasses used as food plants are not known.
6-spot Burnet Moth
Zygaena filipendulae
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=241
The larvae feed mainly on bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).
This species is common on the Lancing Ring meadows, common in the middle Bird's Foot Trefoil zone of Mill Hill, and frequent on the meadow-like verges with Bird's Foot Trefoil on the Adur Levels and frequent on the parts of the conservation pastures at Anchor Bottom.
As cattle and disturbance tend to diminish Bird's Foot Trefoil, this day-flying moth will tend to be less on pastures than meadows by an appreciable margin.
Small Skipper
Thymelicus sylvestris
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... %20Skipper
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Skippers.html
The main foodplant is Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus). Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata), Creeping Soft-grass (Holcus mollis), False Brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum), Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) and Timothy (Phleum pratense) are also used.
This skipper is common on the Lancing Ring meadows (but variable frequency), frequent on the Mill Hill meadows and frequent on the Adur Levels (where the Essex Skipper also occurs), frequent on wasteland including the Malthouse Meadows. It is only occasional (or even scarce) on the pastures of Anchor Bottom.
I have not been able to correlate the grasses used. Cocksfoot is easy to recognise, but this does not fit areas of greatest prevalence.
Adur Flood Plain
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/AdurLevels2007.html
Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2007.html
Cheers
Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2006.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
------
Some other notes on resident butterflies and moths in the Adur area Part One:
Marbled White Butterfly
Melanargia galathea
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... ed%20White
The main foodplants are Red Fescue (Festuca rubra), Sheep's-fescue (Festuca ovina), Tor-grass (Brachypodium pinnatum) and Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus).
This is a species of long swards and it is common to very common and sometimes abundant on the long grass meadows of Lancing Ring. This is the best area.
It will be discovered on the wildlife meadows and over the shorter sward original chakhill on Mill Hill
It is found on verges in much small numbers notably the Adur Levels and approaches to Southwick Hill
It is scarce on all pastures including Anchor Bottom.
Tor Grass is plentiful on the Lancing Ring meadows and occurs on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. However, on the upper slopes of Mill Hill, the four grasses mentioned above are not predominant. The grasses used as food plants are not known.
6-spot Burnet Moth
Zygaena filipendulae
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=241
The larvae feed mainly on bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).
This species is common on the Lancing Ring meadows, common in the middle Bird's Foot Trefoil zone of Mill Hill, and frequent on the meadow-like verges with Bird's Foot Trefoil on the Adur Levels and frequent on the parts of the conservation pastures at Anchor Bottom.
As cattle and disturbance tend to diminish Bird's Foot Trefoil, this day-flying moth will tend to be less on pastures than meadows by an appreciable margin.
Small Skipper
Thymelicus sylvestris
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... %20Skipper
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Skippers.html
The main foodplant is Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus). Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata), Creeping Soft-grass (Holcus mollis), False Brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum), Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) and Timothy (Phleum pratense) are also used.
This skipper is common on the Lancing Ring meadows (but variable frequency), frequent on the Mill Hill meadows and frequent on the Adur Levels (where the Essex Skipper also occurs), frequent on wasteland including the Malthouse Meadows. It is only occasional (or even scarce) on the pastures of Anchor Bottom.
I have not been able to correlate the grasses used. Cocksfoot is easy to recognise, but this does not fit areas of greatest prevalence.
Adur Flood Plain
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/AdurLevels2007.html
Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2007.html
Cheers
Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2006.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
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