Show us ya butterflies and moths

[nepia]

10 hours ago, AJStrees said:

You’re lucky to see those. I’ve seen 1 white admiral ever here. They are a concern on the conservation list. Nice to see different species. 

I've seen a handful in this country, more on the Alpine continent.

There are pockets of population; Ashtead Common near Epsom has a population, along with Purple Emperors, as the habitat is veteran oak forest with much honeysuckle, the W/Admiral caterpillar's chosen food plant.

[oakandmaple]

2 hours ago, nepia said:

@oakandmaple do you know what the bottom centre specimen is?  I recognise it but can't name it

 

The Small Copper is a beautiful little thing.

Hi Nepia,

 

Looks like a Brown Argus.

 

 

Brown Argus | Butterfly Conservation

BUTTERFLY-CONSERVATION.ORG

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This small butterfly is characteristic of southern chalk and limestone grassland but occurs in a variety of...

 

[nepia]

Found a load of old pics, all taken in the low Austrian Alps

[nepia]

[nepia]

[AJStrees]

9 hours ago, nepia said:

Great stuff! Swallowtail, amazing looking butterfly. Pretty rare here these days along with the white admiral. Have been looking into the white admiral and it needs the native honeysuckle to lay its eggs on. Having gone through the site where I am, pretty convinced there is almost no honeysuckle left here. I might try and plant up a load around the hedgerows and hope to see more white admirals in the coming years..... Would be great to help improve their existence here on this beautiful island that is England! 

[nepia]

There's a lot of honeysuckle here on our acre and a half so I can dream.

It was probably coincidence but did you notice the genus of the pant my garden White Ad was perched on? Lonicera!  But just nitida.

 

Actually I've just found that now is egglaying time; the caterpillars overwinter.

Edited August 11, 2023 by nepia

[Blackbriarwoods]

22 hours ago, AJStrees said:

Great stuff! Swallowtail, amazing looking butterfly. Pretty rare here these days along with the white admiral. Have been looking into the white admiral and it needs the native honeysuckle to lay its eggs on. Having gone through the site where I am, pretty convinced there is almost no honeysuckle left here. I might try and plant up a load around the hedgerows and hope to see more white admirals in the coming years..... Would be great to help improve their existence here on this beautiful island that is England! 

I used to do some work for the local wildlife trust (Norfolk) and the Swallowtail is around a lot on some of their sites (Upton, Ranworth and Hickling mainly). Best day I had was hearing and seeing a Bittern, watching a Marsh Harrier quarter a reed bed hunting and getting a great view of a Swallowtail warming itself in the early morning sun

Edited August 11, 2023 by Blackbriarwoods

[AJStrees]

Few more.

 

 

[nepia]

Recent AJS?  I haven't seen a single Painted Lady