Waking Hibernators

Almost as if a switch had been turned off, we said goodbye to a very wet and windy March and the forecast for the beginning of April looked full of promise for some sunny Spring weather.

I only managed to set the moth-trap up once during March with a meagre return of a couple of Hebrew Characters and a Common Quaker. 

Having seen my first butterfly of the year in mid-February, I had to wait until the last week in March for my second. A beautiful sunny day brought out several Brimstones and suddenly the woods were full of birdsong.

The following images are of some of our waking hibernators seen in the last couple of weeks.

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)

(male)

(female)

Comma (Polygonia c-album)

Peacock (Aglais io)

This one was sharing a sunny corner with Eristalis pertinax, a species of hoverfly.

Grey Shoulder-knot (Lithophane ornitopus lactipennis)

This moth hibernates as an adult and is often on the wing in early Spring. I found this one roosting on the trunk of a larch.

Green Lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea)

There are several species of lacewing in Britain and they are tricky to positively identify to species level. However, only one species hibernates and it turns from green to a straw colour to overwinter.

I disturbed this one from the undergrowth during March and I am fairly sure that it is Chrysoperla carnea.

Southern Wood Ant (Formica rufa)

Only the queen and a few worker ants hibernate underground and all other workers die off at the end of the season. During this last week I have seen much activity as thousands of ants rebuild their nests.