Magical Metamorphosis (part 1)

In late summer I noticed a Green-veined White (Pieris napi) laying her ova on a garlic mustard plant in my garden. I monitored the progress of the resulting larvae and on 18th October I located a larva preparing to pupate.

The larva has attached itself in an upright position by a silk girdle.

Two days later the larval skin splits open behind the head.

 

The skin is shed downwards as the pupa emerges.

The pupal wing cases are exposed.

The moult is completed in a few minutes....

....and the moulted skin is jettisoned.

 Three hours later the pupal membrane has hardened.

After two days the pupa has adopted its final colouring.

Ashdown Forest (part 2)

Ashdown Forest is a good place to see dragonfly and damselfly species that have a preference for breeding in the acid pools, bogs and streams that are found there.

 

The stunning Brilliant Emerald (Somatochlora metallica) is a nationally rare dragonfly which has a curious distribution in the UK, only occurring in SE England and NW Scotland. The photographs show an immature female. As she matures, the amber tint in her wings will fade and her eyes will turn green.


Brilliant Emerald (Somatochlora metallica) (immature female)

Golden-ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) (male)

Black Darter (Sympetrum danae) (mating)

Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) (male)

Small Red Damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum) (mating)

Ashdown Forest (part 1)

Another of my favourite haunts is Ashdown Forest. Its heathland landscape with acid bogs and pools is home to many creatures that thrive in this special habitat. The Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus) is one such heathland specialist that occurs in small populations here and I can spend many an hour looking for and watching this pretty butterfly.

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus) (male)

Silver-studded Blue (P.argus) (female)

Silver-studded Blue (P.argus) (mating)

The Raft Spider (Dolomedes fimbriatus) is a close relative of the Fen Raft Spider (D.plantarius) but seems to prefer rather different habitat conditions (at least in East Sussex). It appears to thrive in some of the acid pools found on Ashdown Forest. This female (below) is on the hunt and using her submerged legs to feel for the vibrations of approaching prey.

 

The Early Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata) occurs sparsely on Ashdown Forest. The subspecies that occurs here (ssp.pulchella) is associated with sphagnum bogs.

Dragons and Damsels on Pevensey Levels

Outside, the rain looks set-in for the day and as autumn inevitably moves towards winter, it is nice to look back on some of my highlights of spring and summer. Coastal flats are a great habitat for dragonflies and damselflies and Pevensey Levels is a good place to watch them.

Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) (male)

Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) (mating)

 

 

Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) (male)

 

 

 

Fish Fry

 

 

 

Brown Hawker (Aeshna grandis) (ovipositing female)

 

 

 

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (mating)

 

Dark Bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) (female)

 

Marsh Frog and Marsh Helleborine

At the western end of Romney Marsh lie the Rye levels and some interesting wildlife can be found in the ditches, pools and scrapes of the shingle flats. The Marsh Frog (Rana ridibunda) is a non-native species which was introduced onto Romney Marsh in the 1930's. It is now common in the area and is one of my favourite amphibians; its raucous croaking sounding a bit like laughter from the underworld.

 Marsh Frog (Rana ridibunda) (adult)

 

 Marsh Frog (R. ridibunda) (sub-adult)

 

The beautiful Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris) is rare in East Sussex but can be found in some shingle scrapes





Fen Raft Spider (courtship)

Staying on the subject of the Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius),  I was able to observe some courtship behaviour on 19th September 2015.

Whilst  watching a basking female, I noticed a male in the shadows cautiously approaching her.

The male gently strokes her legs as he slowly moves closer and the female starts to perform a bobbing motion (below)

The female is not responsive and after about 10 minutes she moves quickly away (below)

 

The male comes out into the open to look for the female for a short time before wandering back into the shadows (below)

 

 

The female has returned to her nursery web duties, thus probably explaining her disinterest in the male (below) 

Fen Raft Spider

This year I was keen to seek out and observe the Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) on Pevensey Levels. In September, I started following the fortunes of a particular female which was easily recognised by a pale patch on her carapace.

 

I first saw her on 19th September 2015 when I found her basking in the sunshine with her egg sac.

 

 

On 2nd October 2015 I found her standing guard over her nursery web. The mass of spiderlings can

 clearly be seen within the web and the remains of the empty egg sac can just be seen behind the grass blade to the right of the spiderlings.

  

On 20th October 2015 I found her resting on a reed blade away from the now empty nursery web. The spiderlings have dispersed and the female will see out her remaining days basking in the late season sunshine.

 

 I last saw the female on 22nd October 2015 basking in the watery sunshine. She has probably raised two broods during the summer.