Friday 29 May 2015

Orchids and moths

Greater Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha
On Wednesday morning I met Mark Colvin in West Sussex for an orchid hunt and we found five: White Helleborine, Fly orchid, Twyblade, Common Spotted and Greater Butterfly Orchid. Moths seen: Cocksfoot moth, Small Purple-barred, Marsh Grey, Violet Cosmet, Hook-streak Grass-veneers, Burnet Companion, Little Longhorn, Red Piercer.

Afterwards I visited Iping Common and was pleased to find a red and black Click beetle, Ampedus sanguinolentus, a Heath Potter wasp, plenty of Grey Gorse Piercer and Common Heath moths, a Common Sweep case, a female Green Dock beetle and a cluster of its orange eggs, a female Large Red Damselfly and a new micro moth, a Light Streak, which is a good record for Sussex.
Common Blues mating, Polyommatus icarus
beetle playing peepaboo
Burnet Companion, Euclidia glyphica
Click beetle, Athous haemorrhoidalis
Cocksfoot Moth, Glyphipterix simpliciella on Oxeye Daisy
Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus

Dance Fly, Empis Opaca
Common Malachite, Malachius bipustulatus
Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages

Fly Orchid, Ophrys insectifera
Garden Chafer, Phyllopertha horticola
Greater Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha
Greater Butterfly Orchid
Green Shieldbug, Palomena prasina
Green Shieldbug on White Helleborine, Cephalanthera damasonium
Hook-streak Grass-veneer, Crambus lathoniellus
Jumping spider, Heliophanus flavipes
Leaf beetle, Cryptocephalus species
Little Longhorn, Cauchas fibulella
Marsh Grey, Eudonia pallida
Ramsons Wild Garlic, Allium ursinum
Red Piercer, Lathronympha strigana
Sanicle, Sanicula europaea
Sawfly, Tenthredo maculata
Sawfly, Tenthredo maculata
Scorpion fly, Panorpa species
Small Barred Longhorn, Adela croesella
Small Heath, Coenonympha pamphilus
Small Purple-barred, Phytometra viridaria
4th instar Small Tortoiseshell larva, Aglais urticae
Twayblade, Neottia ovata
Twayblade
Violet Cosmet, Pancalia leuwenhoekella
White Helleborine, Cephalanthera damasonium
Iping Common:
ants with larvae
Click beetle, Ampedus sanguinolentus
Common Heath, Ematurga atomaria
Common Sweep, Psyche casta
Green Dock Beetle eggs, Gastrophysa viridula
Green Dock Beetle, Gastrophysa viridula
Grey Gorse Piercer, Cydia ulicetana
Heath Potter Wasp, Eumenes coarctatus
female Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Light Streak, Pleurota bicostella

Thistle Bell, beetles and larvae at Arundel

Thistle Bell, Epiblema scutulana

On Wednesday we visited Arundel WWT and enjoyed a walk around the hides. The Canada and Greylag goslings appreciated Sue's gift of seed and I found various beetles and a Thistle Bell moth.
14-spot Ladybirds mating, Propylea 14-punctata

Black-margined Loosestrife Beetle, Neogalerucella calmariensis
Common Nettle-tap, Anthophila fabriciana
Common Sweep larva, Psyche casta
This case bearing moth is also called a bagworm. There is a fascinating account here: http://bit.ly/1G2br1Z
Harlequin Ladybird, Harmonia axyridis
Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna
Lapwings, Vanellus vanelluss Arundel WWT
Leaf beetle, Chrysolina brunsvicensis
this tiny (3mm) larva is spinning a home
id needed!
Spindle Ermine moth larvae, Yponomeuta cagnagella

Strawberry Leaf Beetle, Galerucella tenella