An Autumnal Wealden Wood

 Autumn is a time of year when nature prepares itself for the coming winter. Deciduous trees start to shed their leaves and animals that go into hibernation will be feeding up in order to survive the winter months. If the weather is mild, there is still plenty of insect activity to be found and it can be a good time of year to look for caterpillars of several species as they reach maturity before wandering off to pupate.

Adder (Vipera berus) 

(male)

(melanistic male)

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (male)

Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) (male)

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) (male)

Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) (female, form helice)

Birch Mocha (Cyclophora albipunctata) (larva on birch)

Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) (larva on sedge stem)

Hemichroa crocea (Sawfly sp.) (larvae on birch)

Pristiphora testacea (Sawfly sp.) (larvae on birch)

Another species of Sawfly larva (possibly Euura kirbyi) resting on sedge stem.