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

  • Well done Wendy & Caroline for the traps. I took mine out to a layby near woods (on a very quiet road so only one curious passer-by. I can't go in the woods now as there is too much fire risk from the drought a) cos I don't want to start a fire & b) might get arrested for being there (LOL).

    Had over 80 species the highlights being little & large, this is a Cosmopterix possibly zieglerella, at 5mm wing length,

    & large was this " Lesser Puss Moth"

  • Anyone ever watched Hoverflies chasing Butterflies and trying to land on them?

    I saw lots of them doing this today with Whites, Blues and Peacocks.

    I managed this shot of one managing to land on a Common Blue before the Butterfly flew off again.

  • I've spotted tiny flies on butterflies before but I've not seen hoverflies chasing them just to get a piggyback
  • Paul A said:

    Anyone ever watched Hoverflies chasing Butterflies and trying to land on them?

    Nature is fascinating, and that is something I've never seen.

  • Another moth trap last night which threw up more questions than answers ... more searching to be getting on with in this heatwave!

    Star was this Swallow prominent

    which showed it's beauty when I got it out of box

    then it kindly opened it's wings

    Another good fresh find was this Shuttle-shaped Dart

    who obliged with a view of underwings

    From memory think this is Flame Shoulder

    Common Wainscot?

    Cutie of the night was this littl'un who came in on my shirt ... the button is only 10mm

    Formidable glare though!

    Can't remember this one's name though?

    Another needing proper ID, record shot only as it nicked off

    Something to do with banana, there's a light one & a darker one??

  • Hi Wendy, glad you're back on trapping, your Flame shoulder is the alternative design of a Large Yellow Underwing, the small flashy one is Endotricha flammealis & the last is the lighter one, Agapeta hamana.
  • Paul A said:

    Anyone ever watched Hoverflies chasing Butterflies and trying to land on them?

    I saw lots of them doing this today with Whites, Blues and Peacocks.

    I managed this shot of one managing to land on a Common Blue before the Butterfly flew off again.

    Really interesting Paul, I can't say I've seen it before, in fact rarely see a Common blue just sitting, generally they never stop.

  • Many thanks for ID's H ... likely there will be more!
  • Hazel C said:
    Really interesting Paul, I can't say I've seen it before, in fact rarely see a Common blue just sitting, generally they never stop.

    I thought I was imagining it to begin with, but they were following the Butterflies as if they were on the same track.

    I had thought it was maybe a colour triggered thing, with the Hover's attracted to the colour of the Butterflies.

  • A few Flutter's from yesterday.

    Small White - edited - thanks Hazel :-)

    Green-veined White - edited - thanks Hazel :-)

    Peacock

    Common Blue (m)

    Small Copper