For illustrated talks on natural history and history see www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

For illustrated talks on natural history and history click here for www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

Thursday 24 June 2021

Friday 18 June 2021

Elephant Hawk-moth in a West Sussex garden, 17 June 2021

 

Resting on a car tyre is an Elephant Hawk-moth, Deilephila elpenor, with a damaged wing after a day of torrential rain.


https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/elephant-hawk-moth  explains that this nocturnal moth usually rests on a foodplant, Honeysuckle and that the caterpillars eat Willowherb and Enchanters nightshade: all are common in my garden.

Willowherb clump and lots of Honeysuckle.

It is conceivable that this moth bred and grew up in my garden.  I must search for caterpillars this year. 




Thursday 17 June 2021

Insects of Sussex on 15th June 2021 including a first Silver-washed Fritillary.

It was the sightings page at https://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/index.php which first encouraged me to visit this wood to see Pearl-bordered Fritillaries (PBF) some years ago, with success.

No PBFs on this day but Butterfly Conservation Sussex's Martin Kalaher has emailed to say..
"Congratulations regarding your Silver-washed Fritillary, which was a national first." 
Wow!
Neil Hulme, BEM had confirmed that "Peter Lovett's butterfly is a female Silver-washed Fritillary. The forewing shape is correct for SWF (concave below the apex; DGF is slightly convex), the upperside pattern shows two rows of spots inside the margin (DGF has one) and the characteristic SWF underside pattern can be seen."
I chased this butterfly across a clear felled chestnut forest for a while before getting some photo's including an underwing glimpse, confirming Silver-washed.


Other butterflies and moths included a Grizzled Skipper below,
 


lots and lots of Small heaths


a Common blue
Burnet moth
Possibly an Andrena sp. mining bee.... Andrena congruens???

Agonum sexpunctatum perhaps.

Silver Y moth above and below.


Native orchids of Sussex; Bee orchids, Frog orchids, Common-spotted orchids, Fragrant orchids on Tuesday 15 June 2021

 

When looking to photograph wildlife it helps to have good eyesight and a few friends.  Thus, at this site it was William who spotted this beautiful Bee orchid after I had walked past it.

Mike and Janice completed a quartet of naturalists keen to take time to enjoy and photograph the wonderful plants and animals on this warm June day.  The next few blog entries will show our findings; starting now with orchids.

Bee' and Common-spotted orchids.


And again it was William who spotted these, otherwise elusive, Frog orchids: one of which is a hybrid with Common-spotted orchid possibly, being pink and with whorls of colour on the lip.












Fragrant orchid just opening.  


Common-spotted and Frog orchids with Bird's-foot trefoil, "eggs and "bacon", a food plant for Common blue, Green Hairstreak and Dingy Skipper butterflies.








Subsequent posts will show some of the other plants and insects found this day. 
Click to expand pictures.

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