Dorset butterfly updates
Dave Law went looking for some Marsh Fritillary nests – and found them! Continue reading
Roger Hewitt tells us:
Myself and my friend Bruce turned up at Portland Observatory on the morning of Tuesday 25th September Continue reading
We have had two reports of Large Tortoiseshells this year. This is a butterfly which, though common in Southern England in Victorian times, is now thought to be extinct in the UK. Continue reading
With the recent snow, it’s a bit difficult to believe in sunshine or butterflies, but they will turn up. This website has so far had four species reported Continue reading
Keep your eye out for the Humming-bird Hawk-moth, which looks like a tiny humming bird.
Reports of a Monarch butterfly have been coming in. Continue reading
This is such an amazing picture, that we thought we’d put it on our front page as well as in our Gallery! Continue reading
Mullein moth caterpillar. Photo: Richard and Sue Sedgley
The identification of the caterpillar can be made partly from the plant it is on: you can see the plant is somewhat hairy, and has a tall main stalk, so it is probably a verbascum – the food plant of the Mullein moth, along with buddleia and figwort. This moth is more often seen in the caterpillar stage than the adult stage, which is usually on the wing in April and May and is much less eye-catching!
Picture taken in a garden in Corfe Castle on 13/06/2017.
Female Lulworth Skipper. Photo: Mark Pike.
Mark photographed this in teh car park at Corfe Castle on 13/06/2017.
Eggs of the Marsh Fritillary. Photo: Dave Law
Dave says this was one of quite a few egg batches found on various Dorset sites, which is hopefully good news for future generations of the butterfly. The eggs will hatch into caterpillars, which hibernate over the winter, to then form chrysalises and emerge as the adult butterfly in May the following year.
Dave took the picture at Cerne Abbas on 12/06/2017