Dragons and Damsels Emerge

This week has seen the emergence of several species of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) on Pevensey Levels. My first Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) of the year was a newly emerged female in the process of expanding her wings. Although the Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) has been on the wing for two weeks on the levels, Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella), Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) and Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) have all started to emerge this week.

 

 

Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) (female expanding her wings)

 

 

Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) (teneral male)

 

 

Earlier this week, I met up with Bob for our regular Wednesday walkabout. We headed for the downs in search of orchids. I also saw my first Small Copper (Lycaena phleaes) of the year which just happened to be an aberration, sporting yellow pigment in the middle of the forewings. The specimen was also of form caeruleopunctata which gave this phleaes a rather attractive livery.

 

 

Small Copper (Lycaena phleaes) (female, form caeruleopunctata) (aberration)

 

 

Early Spider Orchids (Ophrys sphegodes)

 

 

The light trap in my wealden garden this week has started to attract species of one of my favourite moth groups, the Prominents (Notodontidae).They are so named because of the body and wing tufts that show when the moths are at rest. The first three species are Prominents and the last species is from the Noctuidae family.

 

 

Iron Prominent (Notodonta dromedarius)

 

 

Lesser Swallow Prominent (Pheosia gnoma)

 

 

Lunar Marbled Brown (Drymonia ruficornis)

 

 

Shuttle-shaped Dart (Agrotis puta) (female)

The Holly and The Ivy

The Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) spring brood will lay their eggs on the buds of holly but the summer brood will mainly use ivy as the host foodplant. All the Holly Blues on the wing at this time of year fed as larvae on ivy last summer and therefore the best place to look for argiolus activity is on and around favoured ivy growth where the males concentrate their search for freshly emerged females. This species has been performing in good numbers on Pevensey Levels.

 

 

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) (males)

 

 (the first male is showing signs of a bird strike on left forewing)

 

 

 

Green-veined White (Pieris napi) (male)

 

 

Some of our 'early' orchids are now in flower.

 

Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula)

 

(A small colony in a local Wealden wood)

 

 

Early Spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes)

 

(A rare downland orchid)

 

Early Spider Orchid

A visit to see my parents in Brighton over the weekend gave me the opportunity for a walk on the Downs to some of my boyhood haunts. One of the best UK sites to see the Early Spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes) is just a 30 minute walk away. My mother, having never seen this orchid before, came with us and I was impressed that she can still climb over a five-bar gate at 87yrs.

 

 

Early Spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes)

 

Earlier in the week whilst walking beside the Cuckmere River, there were several species of moth flying about in the damp grass. Only this Silver-ground Carpet sat still long enough for a photograph.

 

 

Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) 

On Saturday morning, the moth-trap contained my first hawkmoth species of the year. The Poplar Hawkmoth is one of our commonest species in this group.

 

 

Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) (male)