Butterfly Forays in Europe

 January and February are usually cold dreary months and a look at the weather forecast for the foreseeable future shows no change on the horizon. At times like this, I look back through my photo-library to see what might form the subject of my next blog post.

During those long-gone child rearing days, we spent many family holidays in France, usually courtesy of Eurocamp and Canvas Holidays or camping in a friend's garden.

I would make time for myself during early mornings or early evenings to explore the local area with my camera, looking for butterflies and other insects.

Here is a selection of some of the photographs I have taken during the last three decades.

Swallowtail (Papilion machaon gorganus)

(20.8.2015 Haute-Savoie, France) 

Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)

(5.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina)

(3.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Black-veined White (Aporia crateagi)

(2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Bath White (Pieris daplidice)

(2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Pale Clouded Yellow (Colias hyale) (male)

(5.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis)

(female ovipositing on horseshoe vetch 1.10.2009 Charente-Maritime, France)

(mating pair 9.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Ilex Hairstreak (Satyrium ilicis)

(male & female, 8.7.2013 Gironde, France)

Blue-spot Hairstreak (Satyrium spini)

(9.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Large Copper (Lycaena dispar)

(female, 24.9.2009 Gironde, France)

Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae)

(male & female, 21.8.2015 Haute-Savoie, France)

Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus)

(male, female and underside, 23.8.2015 Haute-Savoie, France)

Purple-shot Copper (Lycaena alciphron gordius)

(male, 29.5.2010 The Cevennes, France)

(female, 5.7.2013 Gironde, France)

Long-tailed Blue (Lampides boeticus)

(female, 16.10.2006 Charente-Maritime, France)

Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshallii)

(ovipositing female, 5.10.2009 Charente-Maritime, France)

Lang's Short-tailed Blue (Syntarucus pirithous)

(9.10.2011 Rome, Italy)

Osiris Blue (Cupido osiris)

(male, 2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis)

(male, 2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Large Blue (Maculinea arion)

(ovipositing female, 9.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes baton)

(male, 4.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Amanda's Blue (Polyommatus amandus)

(male, 2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Meleager's Blue (Polyommatus daphnis)

(male, female upper & underside 5.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta)

(1.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

(15.7.2004 Charente-Maritime, France)

Map (Araschnia levana) 

(form prorsa, 15.7.2004 Charente-Maritime, France)

Cardinal (Argynnis pandora)

(2nd brood male, 12.10.2006 Charente-Maritime, France)

Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia)

(22.8.2015 Haute-Savoie, France)

Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis daphne)

(underside, 11.7.2013 Charente-Maritime, France)

(upperside, 4.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Violet Fritillary (Boloria dia)

                                                   (10.7.2013 Charente-Maritime, France)

Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe)

(1.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)

(2.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Great Banded Grayling (Kanetisa circe)

(9.7.1997 The Cevennes, France)

Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania)

(1.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria aegeria)

(male, 22.9.2009 Gironde, France)

Southern Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvoides)

(5.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami)

(5.6.2010 The Cevennes, France)

Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae)

(5.9.2019 Avignon, France)

Large Chequered Skipper (Heteropterus morpheus)

(5.7.2013 Gironde, France)

 

Meagre Pickings during January

 January has been cold, wet and windy and there has been no prospect of getting the moth-trap out.

However, I still like to get out for a walk whenever I can to see what can be found hopping around in the woods or to scan the expanse of Pevensey Levels for Owls and Harriers.

Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

On a cold morning a couple of weeks ago, this one was reluctant to move from a patch of sunshine on a fallen tree trunk.

Pevensey Levels.

I enjoy walking out onto Pevensey Levels on a cold sunny day in Winter. Lapwings and Fieldfares were very evident but no Harriers or Short-eared Owls on this occasion. 

After much rain however, the sun shining on the flooded meadows was beautiful.

The Hornet - One of Nature's Architects

 

The Hornet (Vespa crabro)

Back in October 2022, I came across some Hornet activity at the entrance to their nest, in the rotting stump of a large beech tree. The entrance was always guarded by one or two individuals and flights in and out of the entrance were regular.

As I walked past the same nest site earlier this week, I noticed that one side of the stump had fallen away, exposing the old nest within.

The Hornet is one of nature's great architects and it was fascinating to have an opportunity to closely examine the structure of the nest.

The entrance to the nest is at the bottom in the following images and this structure consisted of five brood combs, each separated by evenly placed comb pillars to allow access to all of the brood capsules.

It is tempting to wonder whether the designer of the multi-storey car park drew inspiration from seeing such a structure?

Looking up through the nest entrance, the hexagonal brood capsules of the lower comb were clearly visible.

The nest in context with its surroundings.

Some Moths during Late Autumn

 Autumn is now over and temperatures have dropped considerably as we move into Winter. Since the start of December, night-time temperatures have dropped to below zero and day-time temperatures haven't risen much higher than 4 or 5 degrees centigrade. The moth trap will go into temporary hibernation until we get a few days of milder weather.

Here are some images of moths during late Autumn.

December Moth (Poecilocampa populi) (male)

Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria) (male)

Scarce Umber (Agriopis aurantiaria) (male)

Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria) (male)

November Moth (Epirrita dilutata) (or Epirrita sp.)

Sprawler (Asteroscopus sphinx)

Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)

Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis)

The following two species of micro-moth are winter hibernators and I regularly disturb them when working in the woods.

Agonopterix ocellana 

(pale and dark forms) 

Agonopterix arenella

Musotima nitidalis

This species is an accidental import from the Antipodes and is now well established in East Sussex and beyond. 

A couple of fungi species to finish on. They are both very common and can be found in a variety of habitats.

Shaggy Ink Cap (Coprinus comatus)

Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)