Some Moths during May

 The weather during May has been very changeable and night-time conditions have often been marginal for moth trapping. Generally, moth numbers attracted to the light continue to be low but the variety of species has been good and I have managed to record a couple of interesting aberrations.

Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) 

Puss Moth (Cerura vinula)

The second individual is showing much greyer markings.

Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)

Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma)

Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius)

Marbled Brown (Drymonia dodonaea)

Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda)

Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)

Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)

Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)

Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata)

Common Pug (Eupithecia vulgata vulgata)

Peppered Moth (Biston betularia)

Pale Oak Beauty (Hypomecis punctinalis)

Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) (ab.albescens)

As the common name suggests, this species typically has bright yellow wings. Occasionally, white examples occur.

Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata) (aberration)

Aberrations in this species are rare. Normally, the tram lines across the forewings gradually converge towards the trailing edge but remain well apart. In this example, the lines have joined just short of the trailing edge to form a rounded point.

Common Swift (Hepialus lupulinus)

Toadflax Brocade (Calophasia lunula)

Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica)

Small Angle Shades (Euplexia lucipara)

Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis)

Marbled White Spot (Protodeltote pygarga) 

A Spring Walk on Pevensey Levels

 Spring seemed to be a long time arriving on Pevensey Levels. April was frustratingly cool, wet and blustery but it was good to get a couple of walks in during the warmer days of early May and see some butterflies and damselflies on the wing.

Wall (Lasiommata megera) (mating)

This species doesn't appear on the levels until at least a week after they are first seen on the downs and these were my first of the year. I had already walked past them before my wife spotted them deep in the grass.

The female of this pair has suffered a pigment deformity on her left forewing. This has occurred during her development in the pupa and has resulted in faded markings on the outer edge and almost the complete loss of the fringe.

Green-veined White (Pieris napi) (male)

Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) (females)

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) (male)

Long-horned Nomad Bee (Nomada hirtipes) (female)

This rare species has a very restricted distribution in England.

Orange-tip Courtship and Mating

 Courtship in some butterfly species is impressive to watch such as the amazing courtship flights of the Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia). However, in most species, courtship is a brief affair and consists mainly of mesmerising wing flapping and wafting of pheromones by the male towards the female.

Earlier this week, I was walking beside a roadside verge lush with prolific garlic mustard growth and there were several Orange-tip males on patrol. When I happened upon a very fresh female nectaring on the flower heads, she was very quickly found by one of the males.

Courtship to mating took no longer than 30 seconds and the following sequence of images illustrate the event.

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

Courtship and mating.

Green-veined White (Pieris napi) (female)

A few days earlier in the same location, this female napi was resting between bouts of egg laying.

Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)

Whilst photographing the mating Orange-tips, this rubi settled nearby and provided an irresistible diversion.

Bluebells in a Wealden wood.

Some Moths during April

 April turned out to be a very disappointing month for moth-trapping. The overnight weather conditions were invariably cool, damp and blustery and when I did manage to get the trap set up, conditions were marginal and catches low in moth numbers.

Here are some photographs of species that came to the trap. The last three images are of day-flying moths that I came across on my woodland walks.

Great Prominent (Peridea anceps)

Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)

Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta)

Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria)

Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata)

Grey Pine Carpet (Thera obeliscata)

Small Bluebell Beauty (Hysterophora maculosana)

Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata)

Speckled Yellow (Pseudopanthera macularia)