Chalkhill Blues, mating. Photo: Linda Stanley
Grayling. Photo: Linda Stanley
Linda photographed these Chalkhill Blues mating and a Grayling on 17/07/19 and tells us:
Today at Tout, up to 30 Grayling, Chalkhill Blues, Wall Brown, Red Admiral, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers, Marbled Whites, Small White, Small Tortoisehell ,Scarlet Tiger moth x2, 6 Spot Burnets, grasshoppers , Cinnabar moths, Hummingbird Hawkmoth, and ladybirds.What a great place to visit on Portland and a super record of things seen. The butterflies and moths were reported to Dorsetbutterflies.com /sightings.
Posted on: 19 July, 2019
Essex Skipper. Photo: Luc Mitchem
Essex Skipper. Photo: Luc Mitchem
Luke sent us these photos of an Essex Skipper which he took at a B&B in Charminster, Nr. Dorchester on 17/07/19.
So good to get clear diagnostic photos of this under recorded species. Unless it poses like this one, it is so difficult to see the ‘ink dipped’ antenna which separates it from the Small Skipper.
Posted on: 19 July, 2019
Ringlet ab .cuneatea. Photo: Mark Pike
Lots of aberrations are being reported this year. This one from Mark was seen at Alners Gorse,on 15/07/19 and is a Ringlet, ab. cuneatea. As you can see the rings are elongated rather than round.
Posted on: 17 July, 2019
Black Arches. Photo: Mark Pike
Mark always like to show us the faces of moths in close up. This is a Black Arches from his Motcombe garden moth trap on 15/07/19.
Posted on: 17 July, 2019
Silver-washed Fritillaries. Photo: Mark Pike
Mark witnessed this scene at Alners Gorse on 16/07/19 and tells us:
Male Silver Washed Fritillaries queue to gain the attentions of a valesina female, of which incidentally none were lucky boys!
Posted on: 17 July, 2019
Purple Hairstreak ab. depuncta. Photo: Mark Pike
Mark is an aberration butterfly hunterđ This one is the second one he has found this week.
This one is a Purple Hairstreak, missing the black spot on the bottom of the hindwing next to the orange spots.
He spotted it at Alner’s Gorse on 16./07/19
Posted on: 17 July, 2019
Silver-washed Fritillary. Photo: Shona Refoy
Shona sent us this unusual shot of the underside of a Silver-washed Fritillary that she saw perched on a leaf at Garston Woods on 16/07/19.
Apart from annoying horseflies which took a liking to her, it is sometimes possible to find the elusive Purple Emperor on this RSPB reserve.
Posted on: 17 July, 2019
Common Blue. Photo: Mel Bray
Small Copper. Photo: Mel Bray
Mel visited Throop on 16/07/19 and found both Common Blue and Small Copper 2nd generation butterflies on the wing.
The brown colouring and blue basal flush on the the Common Blue tells us it is a female , the male being a plain blue with a white edge to the wings.
Posted on: 17 July, 2019
Silver-washed Fritillary. Photo: Mark Pike
Mark’s photo of this Silver-washed Fritillary, taken at Alnerâs Gorse on 5/07/19, shows just how stunning the underside can look when caught at the right angle and in the best light. Quite lovely Mark!
Posted on: 16 July, 2019
Scarlet Tiger moth. Photo: Brian Arnold
on 13/07/19 Brain found a Scarlet Tiger moth in his garden at Harman’s Cross.
This species appears to be on the up as many are being reported on social media.
On the wing from June-July, this is a daytime flying species and can often be seen resting on leaves as in Brian’s photo.
Posted on: 16 July, 2019
Puss Moth Caterpillar. Photo: Bill Wiseman
Puss Moth Caterpillar. Photo: Bill Wiseman
Bill sent us these photos of a Puss Moth caterpillar which he found on 15/07/19 whilst doing a spot of gardening in Parkstone.
This one is at an early stage before it turns bright green and grows longer tails. It will over winter as a pupa in a very hard cocoon spun on a tree trunk or post incorporating wood macerated by the caterpillar. In May-July the following year it will emerge as a large furry greyish white moth with black spots on thorax and base of forewing.
Posted on: 16 July, 2019
Small Tortoiseshell. Photo: Dave Law
On 14/07/19 in his garden near Shaftesbury Dave tells us:
This was one of two Small Tortoiseshells egg laying on the nettle patch in the garden . The nettles are cut back from mid June to encourage the fresh growth that the females require . Also Commas and Red Admirals using the same nettle bed.
Whilst suitable flowers for nectaring butterflies are of course really necessary, plants in the garden for the caterpillars of butterflies and moths are of paramount importance, but so often not included.
Posted on: 16 July, 2019
Comma Egg. Photo: Dave Law
Dave saw a light golden Comma, known as hutchinsoni form laying an egg on nettles at the side of his pond near Shaftesbury on 14/07/19.
The photo is purposely left uncropped to show the size of the egg in relation to just a part of the nettle leaf.
This form is found throughout its range and represents individuals that go on to produce a second brood, which differ from those individuals that overwinter as follows:
Posted on: 16 July, 2019
Large Tortoiseshell, Photo: Andrew Reekie
Another sighting of a Large Tortoiseshell on Portland ,but this time near Fancy’s Farm. Andrew saw this one on 10/07/19 and tells us it was nectaring on Buddleia for quite a while before flying off.
This one looks very fresh and surely cannot be one of the two seen so much earlier this year. After the mixture of wet, windy, then hot ,dry weather , it would by now be looking a little frayed around the edges if it had been around since February.
Posted on: 16 July, 2019
Wall Brown. Photo: Andrew Reekie
Andrew tells us he found his first Wall Brown this summer at Tout Quarry on 14/07/19.
This is a sun loving butterfly which has been spotted in various habitat, coastal, edge of woodlands and heathland tracks on occasion.
Posted on: 16 July, 2019
More photos: Gallery Archive
