www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi
I came across this egg inches from several Brown hairstreak ones during a BrH egg search (181 eggs to date 2017.18) at Gait Barrows Lancashire on 1st November 2017.
Distincly different pattern to BrH which I have recorded in Bucks/Oxon over many years.

Any help much appreciated.

Tom Dunbar

Hello Tom,
That's a very interesting egg you,ve posted there, as you know there are a very large number of moths that also use Blackthorn as a foodplant
I found a list of around forty on one site,and have discounted about a third of them. Although that said it does look like a butterfly egg,but as you rightly said ,not quite right for Brown Hair ; it does seem to be positioned on the branch as a Brown Hairstreak,and shape-wise similar ,but pattern -wise different .........I wonder if there could be variations in the eggs as in adults and larvae..........just a thought,i,ll be very interested to see what
any one else comes up with . Regards Allan.W.

I think we are looking for an autumn flying noctuid that overwinters in the egg stage. My guess would be the Green-brindled Crescent
(Allophyes oxyacanthae), a common and widespread species.

M.

I reckon that's a good call ,Mikhail ,Green -brindled crescent was on my list "to look at" but hadn,t got round to it !
Regards Allan.W.

Very interested in this post as I have had a similar experience today whilst searching for Brown Hairstreak eggs in central Lincolnshire. I occasionally find other eggs on Blackthorn, most often eggs of the Blue-bordered Carpet, but occasionally I find other moth eggs. Today I found this one in the photo's below. I initially thought it was Green-brindled Crescent but not sure now - any comments much appreciated!