A Walk on Pevensey Levels in May

 I enjoy walking across the meadows and beside the water ditches of Pevensey Levels at this time of year.

 A few weeks of warm spring weather has accelerated foliage growth around the field margins and the water meadows are covered in buttercups and lady's smock.

There has been plenty of insect activity. 

The resident butterfly species are having a healthy emergence and the arrival of Painted Ladies from the continent has been notable.

Some moth larvae that have hibernated over winter, have resumed feeding.

Wall (Lasiommata megera) (female)

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) (female)

Green-veined White (Pieris napi) (mating)

Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) (male)

Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) (male)

Garden Tiger (Arctia caja) 

(mid-instar larva feeding on blackthorn)

Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)

(mid-instar larva basking on ivy)

Some Moths during April

 April is generally the month when the number of different moth species, coming to the moth-trap, significantly increases. 

By the middle of the month, the cool easterly breeze had gone and high pressure gave us warm and sunny weather for the rest of the month.

Great Prominent (Peridea anceps)

Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)

Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma)

Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) (male)

Lunar Marbled Brown (Drymonia ruficornis)

Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica) (male)

Frosted Green (Polyploca ridens)

Maiden's Blush (Cyclophora punctaria)

Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata vulgata)

Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)

Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) (male)

Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata)

Mullein (Shargacucullia verbasci)

Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli)

Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis)

Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda)

Red Chestnut (Cerastis rubricosa)

Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita)

Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis)

Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta)

Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica)

Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)