Downy Emerald Dragonfly

     The Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea) is a fairly localised species and can be quite tricky to get close to. On a lightly overcast day with sunny spells, I spotted this male settled in the bracken and as the sun came back out, it looked up to show its sparkling green eyes and preened itself before taking flight.

Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea) (male)

Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) (pair in tandem)

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) (teneral female)

Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa) (teneral male)

Scabious Sawfly

When I am busy observing butterflies and dragonflies and trying to get close to them for photographs, I don't often have too much time to look closely at other insect groups.

During the early days of the covid pandemic, when we were restricted by lockdowns to our home areas, I started to take a closer interest in other groups, particularly sawflies.

In 2020, I happened upon an insect resting on a bracken frond, the like of which I had never noticed before. It turned out to be a Blotch-winged Honeysuckle Sawfly and from that day, a curiosity in sawflies was awakened.

Over the last few weeks, I have been seeking out the Scabious Sawfly, a common species that is associated mainly with Devil's-bit Scabious. I have regularly found its larvae feeding in late summer but had never knowingly seen the adult before. 

Scabious Sawfly (Abia sericea)

(males)

(females)

Blotched-winged Honeysuckle Sawfly (Abia fasciata) (female) (taken in 2020)

Tenthredo mesomela (Sawfly sp.)

Wealden Meadows and Roadside Verges

 Yesterday was a rather grey day with drizzly showers but I ventured out to a favourite Wealden meadow.

Chimney Sweeper (Odezia atrata)

Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica)

Mother Shipton (Callistege mi)

A few weeks ago, in a Wealden churchyard, I came across this pleasing little group.

Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio)

The Spiked Rampion (Phyteuma spicatum) is a highly endangered plant in the UK and can only be found in a few sites in East Sussex, often in discrete roadside colonies.

Spiked Rampion (Phyteuma spicatum)

Some more Moths during May

 Over the last couple of weeks, multiple numbers of Striped Hawkmoths (Hyles livornica) and other migrant species have been turning up in moth-traps across Britain from the near continent, particularly in south western counties.

Ever hopeful, I have been putting my trap out on a regular basis but so far, no unusual visitors have touched down in my garden.

Here are some images of moths that have appeared at my light during the latter half of May.

Privet Hawkmoth (Sphinx ligustri)

Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) 

Peppered Moth (B. betularia) (form insularia)

Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia)

Sharp-angled Peacock (Macaria alternata)

Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata)

Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata)

Yellow-barred Brindle (Acasis viretata)

Light Emerald (Campaea margaritata)

Small Magpie (Anania hortulata)

Marbled Brown (Drymonia dodonaea)

Treble Lines (Charanyca trigrammica) (form obscura)

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

One of my favourite butterfly moments of any spring is seeing my first male Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) patrolling low over the flowers of a woodland glade, looking for females. 

However, the first euphrosyne that I saw this year was a fresh female conveniently posing on a bluebell. 

Here are some images of that moment as well as photographs of some other spring species.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) (female)

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) (male)

Large White (Pieris brassicae) (female)

Green-veined White (Pieris napi) (female)

Some Moths in Early May

 For the last few weeks, I have been busy finishing my winter work in the wood. This mainly entails clearing up uprooted rhododendrons and stacking bonfires ready for the autumn. It will soon be too hot for labouring and I can catch up with butterflies and moths that are now on the wing.

Here are a few images of some of the moths that I have encountered over the last couple of weeks.

Great Prominent (Peridea anceps)

Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala)

Square Spot (Paradarisa consonaria)

Sharp-angled Carpet (Euphyia unangulata)

Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata)

Speckled Yellow (Pseudopanthera macularia)