Late Summer on Pevensey Levels

 Pevensey Levels is a wonderful place for seeking out dragonflies, damselflies and other interesting species. The landscape is predominantly agricultural, mainly livestock pasture with some crops but is criss-crossed with plenty of water ditches and channels which are havens for wildlife.

In the last couple of decades, new species have migrated across the English Channel from the European mainland, to take advantage of our warming climate in south-east England.

I first came across a colony of the Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis) in 2018 and it is now a well established resident across the levels.

In more recent years, the Green-eyed Hawker (Aeshna isosceles) and Southern Migrant Hawker (Aeshna affinis) have become more numerous on the levels.

Southern Migrant Hawker (Aeshna affinis) (males)

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (males)

Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis)

(mating)

(tandem pair)

(male)

Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) (female)

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) (mating)

Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) (female devouring prey)

Wall (Lasiommata megera) (female)

Along the Woodland Edge during July

The White Admirals and Purple Hairstreaks have been on the wing in my local woods for about a month and are now looking past their best. Here are some other images of  what I have been finding during July.

Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) (male)

Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isosceles) (male)

Black-bellied Diving Beetle (Dytiscus semisulcatus) (male)

Four-banded Longhorn Beetle (Leptura quadrifasciata)

Black-and-yellow Longhorn Beetle (Rutpela maculata)

Comma (Polygonia c-album) (female) (form hutchinsoni)

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) (males)

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) (male)

Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) (male)

Xysticus lanio (Crab Spider sp.)

Along the Woodland Edge during May and June

 Walking along the woodland edge looking for insects is always enjoyable. In one of my favourite woods, there are substantial mint beds along some of the shady and damp rides which can be particularly productive.

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) (male)

Vapourer Moth (Orgyia antiqua) (mid-instar larva basking)

Scabious Sawfly (Abia sericea) (male & female)

Tenthredo mesomela (Sawfly sp.)

Macrophya annulata (Sawfly sp.)

Carabus problematicus (Violet Ground Beetle sp.)

Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietis)

Denticollis linearis (Click Beetle sp.)

Green Tortoise Beetle (Cassida viridis)

(mating pair)

Gonioctena decemnotata ( Leaf Beetle sp.)

Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum)

Tortoise Shieldbug (Eurygaster testudinaria)

Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

(female with her legs wrapped around her egg sac)

A Walk in the Garden

 Having undergone knee surgery in recent weeks, my ability to get out into the countryside, to look for emerging Spring butterflies, has been put on pause. 

My walking rehabilitation has been restricted to patrolling my garden for insects.

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) (male)

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) (female)

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) (male)

Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) (male)

Yellow Dungfly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

Hoverfly sp. (Helophilus pendulus)

Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) (mating)

Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum)

Weevil sp. (Liophloeus tessulatus)

Crab Spider sp. (Xysticus cristatus) (female)