Butterflies & Moths 2020

Hi All, I took an executive decision & decided to amalgamate the Butterfly & Moth threads which may make it easier to find if it's used more!

These are the old threads from 2019 Beautiful butterflies https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/200195/beautiful-butterflies-2019#pifragment-4285=1

& Mostly Moths https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/198118/mostly-moths-2019/1273216#pifragment-4285=1

To start us off here are a few from the recent traps & wine rope,

this is a lovely Satelite from the 8th january

  • Lovely selection all. Well done with your Small Copper, Gaynor, a real favourite of mine. :-)

    All I can add is a female Common Blue from our walk today.

    And a first for our garden, one of two Ringlets at the pond.

  • Thanks all, I'm a happy bunny now, yes it is the first for me, Caught my eye as it was so bright as I walked through the long grass on my way to the field where the farmer has planted for the insects, butterflies and bees this year, only to find that he had cut it down yesterday, I only hope the wildlife has laid its' eggs and hatched out plenty of young, apparently he plans to put down grass for sileage now :(
    Lovely additions Hazy and Paul, I am enjoying these creatures, not easy though, they do tend to flit about!!
  •  Guess what I ate for my lunch today?

    Hang on that's a little small

    I didn't pick the tatty one!!, but hey they were a surprise to see this early, but lovely tasting:-)

    Sorry not on subject!!!!!!

  • Unknown said:
    Nice photos - you and the butterflies making the most of fairly rare sunshine in recent days!
    I don't think that's a G-v White as the veins aren't dark enough. I suspect it's a Large,

    I agree, except I'd go for possible Small White, but only a guess. Not easy these Whites.......

    Gaynors look tricky! LOL Yum yum.

  • Bit early too Hazel, according to this the summer is over and autumn appears:-)
  • Right time of the month though Gaynor, just after the full moon. We are complaining bitterly about the weather, really windy & hardly any butterflies, 3 budlheas? in bloom & hardly anything around them. Fingers crossed for a warm autumn.

    Clicked a bit quick, I had a few photos to post from a walk the other day, a Provencal Short-tailed Blue

    Sooty Copper

    & Grizzled Skipper (or it's close relation)

  • Lovely photos Hazel, they have delightful names.
  • Not even heard of the first two Hazel :o) Lovely captures
  • There was a tragedy yesterday when I spotted Red Admiral emerging ... after only 9 days in pupa ... but appeared to be struggling so I put a stick under it & it climbed up & onto netting ... but I could see that one wing was damaged, it had got caught on dried vegetation it had pupated under which I intended to remove but was caught unawares by the very short pupation period!

    Spent the night in pot with big Buddleia blossom, seemed very strong & trying to fly so popped the pot outside under the big Buddleia bush

    Damage quite evident here but watched it fly/hop so hope it will manage!

    ITM, Ruby Tiger pupated overnight

    In a couple of days I'll be carefully prising those dried leaves off so that it can't suffer the same fate as the poor Red Admiral!

  • Sorry to hear about your Red Admiral, Wendy, it does appear to have a fighting spirit. Good luck with the Ruby Tiger!

    This YouTube video (13 minutes long) has been posted by the Scottish Wildlife Trust - all about taking a closer look at Butterflies and Moths, I thought it may be be of interest Slight smile

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdGw22LEOAw