Garden Lepidoptera

As we all have to get used to new routines during the pandemic lock-down, most of my lepidopteral pleasures will be provided by my garden moth-trap during the coming months. 

Although the weather in recent days has been bright and sunny, the nights have been rather cool and breezy and I have only managed to get the moth-trap out on a couple of occasions so far this spring.

Here are a couple of early season species from the catches thus far.

Oak Beauty (Biston strataria)

Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)

Butterfly Awakenings

Our winter has been a very mild one but the hope of seeing any early appearances of our hibernating butterflies has been rather delayed by the stormy weather of recent weeks. What was needed was a nice warm and sunny day with no wind, to entice them from their winter slumber. That day arrived on Monday 16th March.

I set off for Pevensey Levels to enjoy this beautiful day and to look for some butterfly activity. I was not disappointed and saw 7 Peacocks (Aglais io) and 2 Commas (Polygonia c-album).

Peacock (Aglais io)

Comma (Polygonia c-album)

Earlier in the month I visited another favourite downland dewpond in search of Newts.

Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris)

Male.

Females.