Light Crimson Underwing and other Moths during August

 As a resident species in the UK, the Light Crimson Underwing (Catocala promissa), together with its close cousin the Dark Crimson Underwing (Catocala sponsa), is a Red Data Book (RDB) species, only to be found breeding in the New Forest area of Hampshire.

 The RDB status is for species vulnerable to extinction in Britain.

However, in recent years, both promissa and sponsa have been turning up at moth-traps on a regular basis throughout Sussex and beyond and there is little doubt in my mind that both species are now breeding in the county, most likely from migrant stock.

The Toadflax Brocade (Calophasia lunula) is another RDB species that has been resident in south-east England for several decades in small foothold coastal colonies. However, this is another species whose population is now expanding inland, probably augmented by migration and is now being recorded across much of Kent and East Sussex.

Until a couple of decades ago, The Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria) was only a rare migrant to Sussex. After managing to establish itself in a couple of foothold colonies along the coast it has become firmly established as a breeding species along the coastal areas of the county and has now spread inland.

This year has been an excellent migration year for moths and with our warming and drying climate in south-east England, many formerly scarce migrant species such as the Bordered Straw (Heliothis peltigera) have now become much more regular in their appearance in Sussex and are episodic breeders.

Light Crimson Underwing (Catocala promissa)

Toadflax Brocade (Calophasia lunula)

Larva feeding on purple toadflax in my wealden garden.

Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria)

This species made its first ever appearance in my wealden garden this year.

Bordered Straw (Heliothis peltigera)

Another species making its first appearance in my wealden garden.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Black Arches (Lymantria monacha) (aberration)

Tree-lichen Beauty (Cryphia algae)

This very variable migrant species is now probably breeding in UK.

Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon)

Mocha (Cyclophora annularia)

Clay Triple-lines (Cyclophora linearia)

Scorched Carpet (Ligdia adustata)

Delightful Damselflies

 I delight in watching damselflies as they fly through the long grass of a meadow or amongst pondside reeds. They can be quite tricky to photograph, especially if, like me, you are reliant on automatic focusing. They are worthy of close attention and here are a few images of damselflies and a dragonfly taken during July and August in a wealden wood.

White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) (male)

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) (female, drab form)

Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa) (male)

Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis)

This female fortuitously landed on this willow stem as I was photographing the ovipositing scars left by another female.

The female of this tandem pair is ovipositing by injecting her eggs under the bark of the willow stem.

A tandem pair at rest.

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (male)