Sunday 24 June 2018

Thistle Patch


Large Skipper - I'm seeing really good numbers of these at the moment. There were several of these on a thistle patch at West Lodge this afternoon, and nearby my first Small Skipper of the year.


 Marbled White - plentiful at West Lodge alongside the cycle track.


Good numbers of Meadow Brown too.


Six-spot Burnet - a Five-spot seen briefly this afternoon too.


Thistle Ermine on thistle.

 
I'm gonna stick my neck out and suggest Coast Leafcutter Bee for this one. A distinctive whitish patch beneath the abdomen and a habit of holding its abdomen at almost 90 degrees to its thorax when feeding, which it did in a furious manner.
 
 

Caterpillar sp - Edit - Knotgrass - thanks Kev.

 
Adult Mediterranean Gull - Mudbank. This and a first-summer present this afternoon.
 

Dark Arches - such a common moth but beautifully and intricately marked when freshly emerged.


Dwarf Cream Wave - one of at least 3 in the trap last night, making their first appearance this year.

 
I think both the above and below moths are Brown Elm Bell - Epinotia abbreviana but not so sure about the lower one.



July Highflyer - another first for the year and master of camouflage.


Eudonia sp - think this is ambigualis.


Caterpillar sp.

 
White-foot Bell - Epiblema foenella - a very distinctive 'micro' being both large and strikingly marked. I usually see one or two of these a year. The larvae feed on the roots and stems of Mugwort and Southernwood.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Matt

    The top caterpillar is Knotgrass, I'll pass on the green one!

    Cheers
    Kev

    ReplyDelete
  2. Many thanks Kev - any ideas on the bee?
    All the best.
    Matt

    ReplyDelete