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Cinnabar moth caterpillar. Photo: Jill Franks
Jill spotted this Cinnabar moth caterpillar while at Lankham Bottom on 25/07/23. Usually they are present in good numbers on one plant but this year in some areas singletons like this have been noted on their food plant Ragwort.
Wood Tiger. Photo: Rosina Robinson
Alabonia geoffrella. Photo: Rosina Robinson.
Rosina was please to see both this stunning Wood Tiger moth and a tiny micro moth Alabonia geoffrella when she visited Lankham Bottom on 4/06/23.
Wood Tigers fly from May-June and Alabonia geoffrella also May-June.
Marsh Fritillary. Photo: Sam Ellis
Sam sent in this photo telling us:
Just sharing this photo of one of eleven Marsh Fritillaries I saw today, 24/05/2023 at Lankham Bottom in a 15-min Count. I actually saw several more after I finished the count! So good numbers considering the season. All seemed fairly fresh. They were all recorded on the north-west facing slope in the gully at the southern end of the site. I didn’t see any on the south-facing slope at the northern end where you also usually see them.
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Donald Simcock
Donald sent in this photo with the following comments:
Yesterday, 27/07/2022 at Lankham Bottom whilst helping clear away ragwort with Nigel’s group I saw 5 Small Tortoiseshells all feeding on Ragwort and one bumping another off the flower.
A good chance I thought to try and get a picture of one taking off. So with a high film speed and a high shutter speed I finally got one good photo with the other hundred or so in the recycle bin. This photo shows the proboscis still extended during flight.
Marsh Fritillary. Photo: Mike Lewis
Speckled Yellow Moth. Photo: Mike Lewis
Two photos from Mike who sent them in commenting as follows:
Marvellous walk at Lankham Bottom this morning, 19/05/2022. Literally hundreds of Wood Tiger moths, my first Brown Argus of the year, a Speckled Yellow moth, the usual collection of Common Blues, Dingy and Grizzled Skippers, one high speed fly-past by a Painted Lady and a couple of Marsh Fritillaries.
This Marsh Fritillary is not just another Marsh Fritillary though, it’s special because it’s my first ever!
The Dorset branch of Butterfly Conservation looks after a number of different wildlife sites, two of which are formally established Butterfly Reserves –
Meadow Brown. Photo: Daniel Law
Dan sent in this photo saying:
We tend to look upon the Meadow Brown as a drab common-or-garden butterfly but just now and again one stands out as a rather special representative of the species. This individual graced the slopes of Lankham Bottom this afternoon, 03/09/2021.
Brown Argus. Photo: Donald Simcock
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Donald Simcock
Here are just two of the recent photos sent to us by Donald who told us:
Tuesday 11/08/2020 was another volunteering day for Butterfly Conservation on the reserve at Lankham Bottom. I saw lots of Common Blues, a couple of Clouded yellows, Meadow Browns and a Brown Argus, the first time I have seen this species. I also saw lots of Small Tortoiseshell but my first one had hardly any coloured scales left on it.
Guide to this top Dorset butterfly site, including: location, description, species of interest and photo gallery.
A team of 10 BC volunteers spent a beautiful still autumn day on Sunday November 17th at Lankham Bottom Reserve continuing the clearance work on the gorse and bramble scrub at the top of the south-facing slope. The bushes have been extending inexorably over the downland for over 40 years (according to local sources) but withRead more…