Wednesday 30 April 2014

Grizzlies and a Speckled Yellow

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae
Yesterday morning we visited Arundel WWT where we had lunch and I took some videos.  Click to a title view:
In the afternoon I visited Rewell Wood and found 3 fresh Grizzled Skippers and two in one area were continually meeting and fighting. The Wood Spurge was home to dozens of Small Purple and Gold micromoths and Hairy Shieldbugs. Other butterflies seen: Green-veined Whites, Orange-tip, Peacocks, Brimstones, Speckled Wood. I found my second Speckled Yellow moth of the year. On my way home I stopped at Lobbs Wood and found three of the local population of Speckled Woods.
Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes
Green-veined White, Pieris napi
Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae on Bugle
Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae

Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum
7-spot Ladybird, Coccinella 7-punctata on Wood Spurge
tiny 14-spot Ladybird, Propylea 14-punctata (3mm)
micromoth - id needed please!
Small Purple and Gold, Pyrausta aurata
Small Purple and Gold micromoths, Pyrausta aurata,
on Wood Spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides
Small Purple and Gold, Pyrausta aurata
Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria
Speckled Yellow, Pseudopanthera macularia
Woodruff, Galium odoratum

Tuesday 29 April 2014

Dukes and Brimstone courtship

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina
Yesterday morning a visit to a local Duke of Burgundy site failed to find any, but an afternoon visit to Kithurst Meadow provided two fresh Duke of Burgundy butterflies, a Dingy Skipper, a Burnet Companion, Green-veined Whites and a Peacock.  Two male Brimstones were trying to persuade a female to succumb to their charms. Bluebells and Early Purple Orchids were in flower and the meadow is covered with cowslips. Neil and young Mia joined me and we watched a Duke resting on the grass until it flew up to roost in the trees at around 3:45pm.
Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Brimstone courtship with 2 males, Gonepteryx rhamni
female Brimstone receiving attention from two males




Ray Cannon has published an interesting article about "wing walking" behaviour: https://rcannon992.com/2019/07/31/courting-brimstones-wing-walking/








Brimstone roosting under leaf - well camouflaged
Bugle, Ajuga reptans
Burnet Companion, Euclidia glyphica
Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages
Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina
Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina
Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula
a Nomad bee, possibly Nomada flava
There are over 25 species of cuckoo bees in the UK. They are cleptoprasites of Andrena bees in whose nests they lay their eggs. Their larvae kill the eggs and larva of the host bee and eat their pollen stores. Thanks to Jamie for the id.
mushroom - id needed!
Green-veined White, Pieris napi on Bugle
Green-veined White, Pieris napi

Monday 28 April 2014

Purple and Gold, pearls and a rainbow

On Thursday I visited Rewell Wood where I found a Small Purple and Gold micromoth, a Speckled Wood and a Red-tailed Cuckoo Bumblebee. The female bee takes over the nest of a Red-tailed Bumblebee and assumes the role of the queen.
On Saturday at Kithurst Meadow I found a micromoth, Falseuncaria ruficiliana and a few Green-veined whites. At Rewell Wood there were plenty of Pearl-bordered Fritillaries and Early Purple Orchids were flowering and I saw my first Speckled Yellow of the year.
In the evening we spotted a rainbow out to sea with a kite surfer dancing in front of it.

Rewell Wood:
Small Purple and Gold, Pyrausta aurata
female Red-tailed Cuckoo Bumblebee, Bombus rupestris
female Red-tailed Cuckoo Bumblebee, Bombus rupestris

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria
Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria
Kithurst Meadow:
Cowslip, Primula veris
bowl by Kithurst Meadow with Cowslips
Saturday at Rewell Wood:
Bracket fungus with snail
Bugle, Ajuga reptans
Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula
Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula

fungus, id needed
Kithurst Meadow:
Cowslips, Primula veris
micromoth, Falseuncaria ruficiliana
micro grasshopper (1 cm)
Green-veined White, Pieris napi
Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum
hoverfly
micro beetles mating
female St. Mark's Fly, Bibio marci
This fly emerges around St. Mark's Day, 25 May.

Rewell Wood:
Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne
Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne
Pheasant egg, Phasianus colchicus
Primrose, Primula vulgaris