Dragons in the Forest

A very hot weekend camping in the New Forest. Insects weren't quite as numerous or varied as the same time last year (also very hot) but some interesting sightings. I also had my first Bird's Wing moth and singles of Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral and Firecrest.

Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens


Beuatiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo


Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara


Oblong-leaved Sundew Drosera intermedia


Canon Powershot SX10

King's Dyke West

A fairly standard bunch of insects this lunchtime in cooler, cloudier weatehr than expected. In addition to those shown here there were Black-tailed Skimmers, Four-spotted Chasers, egg-laying Emperor Dragonfly and Blue-tailed Damselflies.

Most of these shots are from the zoom and crop school of insect photography, hence the rather variable quality.

Large Skipper Ochlodes faunus


Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa



Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum


Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum


Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum


Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis f. succinea


Canon Powershot SX10

Gold Spot

Gold Spot was only the second for the garden (the first was in 2005). The Concolorous is a bit of a local speciality. A Red Data Book species that has occurred twice before in the garden.

56 species identified with a further five still to be determined.

Gold Spot Plusia festucae


The Concolorous Photedes extrema


Canon Powershot SX10

0017 Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus) 2
0937 Agapeta hamana 1
0965 Cochylis hybridella 1
0970 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana) 1
0977 Large Fruit-tree Tortrix (Archips podana) 1
0989 Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana) 1
0994 Clepsis consimilana 1
1063 Celypha striana 1
1076 Celypha lacunana 1
1082 Plum Tortrix (Hedya pruniana) 1
1083 Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana) 3
1115 Ancylis achatana 1
1201 Eucosma cana 1
1293 Garden Grass-veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) 3
1302 Crambus perlella 3
1334 Scoparia ambigualis 1
1376 Small Magpie (Eurrhypara hortulata) 1
1392 Udea olivalis 2
1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) 1
1485 Phycitodes maritima 1
1705 Dwarf Cream Wave (Idaea fuscovenosa) 1
1711 Treble Brown Spot (Idaea trigeminata) 2
1758 Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata) 1
1765 Barred Yellow (Cidaria fulvata) 2
1834 Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1
1860 Green Pug (Chloroclystis rectangulata) 4
1887 Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 1
1904 Scorched Wing (Plagodis dolabraria) 2
1906 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 2
1931 Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) typical 1
1958 Clouded Silver (Lomographa temerata) 2
1981 Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 1
1991 Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) 1
2040 Four-dotted Footman (Cybosia mesomella) 1
2050 Common Footman (Eilema lurideola) 1
2060 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 1
2061 Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 6
2089 Heart & Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) 12
2098 The Flame (Axylia putris) 5
2102 Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 2
2107 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 3
2128 Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum) 1
2283x Dark/Grey Dagger (Acronicta tridens agg.) 2
2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) 21
2330 Dusky Brocade (Apamea remissa) 1
2333 Large Nutmeg (Apamea anceps) 5
2337x Marbled Minor agg. (Oligia strigilis agg.) 5
2340 Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula) 4
2347 The Concolorous (Photedes extrema) 1
2381 The Uncertain (Hoplodrina alsines) 5
2384 Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua) 1
2387 Mottled Rustic (Caradrina morpheus) 1
2422 Green Silver-lines (Pseudoips prasinana) 1
2439 Gold Spot (Plusia festucae) 1
2474 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis) 2
2489 The Fan-foot (Herminia tarsipennalis) 6

Elton to Yarwell

An interesting walk from Elton to Yarwell and back with many insects on show. Here are some I managed to photograph.

Nemophora degeerella, a longhorn moth


Volucella pellucens, large, common hoverfly


Volucella bombylans, amazing hoverfly that mimics Bombus lapidarius - the same species has another form that mimics B. hortorum - the larvae feed in the nests of the host bee.


Cheilosia illustrata, another hoverfly that mimics bees


Cephus pygmeus, a sawfly and pest of wheat - this is about 1cm long but check out the ultra-tiny hymenoptera sharing the cow parsley!


Canon Powershot SX10

Smooth Newt in Garden

Our pond has masses of tadpolls at the moment and they are just getting their hindlegs. We were watching them today when I noticed this fella lurking below. A very welcome garden first.

Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris

Canon Powershot SX10

Pictures from Mull

Some pictures taken on the Ross of Mull and Iona between 29th May and 5th June. The Black Grouse was in a roadside field on the A826 north of Amulree.

Early Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata pulchella


Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata ericetorum


Round-leaved Sundew Drosera rotundifolia


Thrift Armeria maritima


Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens, immature male


Jackdaw Corvus monedula


Gannet Morus bassanus


Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix


Sunset from Ormsaig


Canon Powershot SX10

Mothing on Mull

Trapped six consecutive nights while staying on the north coast of the Ross of Mull between Bunnessan and Pennyghael using a 125W MV over a Skinner box. The first five species shown here were all new to me. I recorded a total of 51 species in all. I saw very few dayflying moths; just singles of Silver Y and Common Heath.

Light Knot-grass Acronicta menyanthidis scotica



Satyr Pug Eupithecia satyrata callunaria


Monopis weaverella


Ancylis geminana


Opsibotys fuscalis


Clouded Buff Diacrisia sannio


True Lover's Knot Lycophotia porphyrea


Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata


The Shears Hada plebeja


Glaucous Shears Papestra biren


Foxglove Pug Eupithecia pulchellata hebudium


Ruddy Highflyer Hydriomena ruberata


The full list of species with total number of nights recorded, total moths and maximum in one night.


Monopis weaverella 1 1 1
White-shouldered House-moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1 1 1
Agonopterix ocellana 1 1 1
Bryotropha terrella 1 1 1
Ancylis geminana 1 1 1
Crambus lathoniellus 1 1 1
Opsibotys fuscalis 2 2 1 (two different moths)
Fox Moth (Macroglossum rubi) 4 6 2 (all females)
Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata) 1 1 1
Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia) 2 3 2
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe ferrugata) 1 1 1
Striped Twin-spot Carpet (Nebula salicata) 3 4 2
Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata) 1 1 1
Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 1 2 2
Spruce Carpet (Thera britannica) 1 5 5
Ruddy Highflyer (Hydriomena ruberata) 2 3 2
Foxglove Pug (Eupithecia pulchellata) 3 6 3
Satyr Pug (Eupithecia satyrata) 1 1 1
Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata) 1 1 1
Narrow-winged Pug (Eupithecia nanata) 1 1 1
Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) 2 2 1
Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata) 6 243 67
Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 2 2 1
Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) 2 2 1
Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) 6 16 5
Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) 1 1 1
Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) 4 4 1
Elephant Hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) 2 2 1
Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) 2 7 5
Sallow Kitten (Furcula furcula) 1 1 1
Pebble Prominent (Eligmodonta ziczac) 5 9 2
Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma) 1 1 1
Clouded Buff (Diacrisia sannio) 1 1 1
White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 5 10 3
Buff Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda) 2 4 3
The Cinnabar (Tyria jacobaeae) 1 1 1
Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) 3 5 2
True Lover's Knot (Lycophotia porphyrea) 1 1 1
The Shears (Hada plebeja) 6 22 9
Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae) 1 1 1
Pale-shouldered Brocade (Lacanobia thalassina) 6 13 4
Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) 1 1 1
Glaucous Shears (Papestra biren) 1 2 2
Broom Moth (Melanchra pisi) 3 6 3
Marbled Coronet (Hadena confusa) 1 1 1
Light Knot Grass (Acronicta menyanthidis scotica) 2 3 2
Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis) 2 2 1
Brown Rustic (Rusina ferruginea) 4 7 2
Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli) 5 23 8
Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1 1 1
The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) 1 1 1


Canon Powershot SX10