Along the Woodland Edge in Early Spring

 The weather during April was lovely, with plenty of sunshine but May seems to have become our month for blustery showers and occasional sunshine.

Orange-tips and Holly Blues have been abundant in the Weald of East Sussex and by the last week of April, bluebells were in full bloom, providing nectar for any passing butterfly.

I saw my first Pearl-bordered Fritillary on 28th April as well as an obvious landfall of Painted Ladies, primary migrants from across the channel. 

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

(males)

(female)

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)

(male)

(female)

Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne)

(female)

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Large White (Pieris brassicae)

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)

(female)

Green-veined White (Pieris napi)

(female)

Speckled Yellow Moth (Pseudopanthera macularia)

Some Moths during April

The weather during April has been predominantly warm, dry and sunny. My garden is 145 metres (471 feet) above sea level and this often brought chilly nights. This in turn kept moth numbers low but even so, a good variety of species visited the light trap during the month.  

Frosted Green (Polyploca ridens)  

Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)

Streamer (Anticlea derivata)

Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata)

Seraphim (Lobophora halterata)

Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria) (male)

Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius)

Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma)

Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)

Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis)

Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta puta) (male)

Lead-coloured Drab (Orthosia populeti)

This is a first record for my garden.

Knot Grass (Acronicta rumicis)

Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli)

Some Moths during March

 We have had some lovely early spring sunshine during March and any rain has been more showery than incessant. There have been plenty of opportunities to run the moth-trap overnight.

As is usual with early spring catches, the first moths to appear in any numbers are the Orthosia genus.

Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda)

Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)

Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)

Twin-spotted Quaker (Orthosia munda)

Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)

Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)

Yellow Horned (Achlya flavicornis)

Oak Beauty (Biston strataria)

Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata)

Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata)

Diurnea fagella

Spring Encounters with the Large Tortoiseshell

 After the incessant winter rain, it was lovely to get out into my local wealden woods during some beautiful early spring sunshine in March. 

After my encounters with the Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros) last summer, I was optimistic about seeing some post-hibernators during late February and March. I was not going to be disappointed.

Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)

Here are three different individuals.

Comma (Polygonia c-album)

Peacock (Aglais io)

Dark-edged Beefly (Bombylius major)

On a dull day in early March, I came across this freshly emerged specimen in the grass. The grey front edges of the wings are yet to darken fully.

 

Some Moths during January and February

 The overnight temperatures during January and February have been generally mild for the time of year, with only three consecutive sub-zero nights in early January. By the middle of the month, a particularly mild few nights, with a pause in the incessant rain, encouraged me to get the moth-trap out. Towards the end of February, more mild and dry nights were suitable for the moth-trap.

Quite a few of the Geometridae species that breed during the winter months, or early in the season, have females that are flightless. This is more than just a coincidence but I can only conjecture the reason why. With predation reduced to a minimum (for example, bats and dormice are hibernating) and with very little competition for egg laying sites, negating the need for females to wander, then it possibly makes sense for females to become flightless in order to produce more eggs. They probably pupate on or near the foodplant and when they emerge, there is little risk in waiting nearby to be found by a male, mated and crawling off into the foliage to lay their eggs.

The first four species that follow, all have flightless females.

Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) (male)

Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) (male)

Spring Usher (Agriopis leucophaearia) (3 males)

This species is very variable in its ground colour but its markings are usually constant and visible.

March Moth (Alsophila aescularia) (male)

Grey Shoulder-knot (Lithophane ornitopus lactipennis)

This individual was tempted out of hibernation in mid-January.

Totricodes alternella

On 4th January, after a very cold night, I went out into the garden with a hot kettle in order to melt the ice in the bird bath. After I started pouring, I noticed this icicle (measuring about 12 cms.) which had grown vertically upwards from the edge of the ice. I stopped pouring and dashed off to get my camera before the icicle melted through at its base. I assume it was caused by the expanding surface ice forcing water up at the edge of the bath! I have seen horizontal icicles before (on top of Scafell Pike in winter) but I think this one is a first for me.