Light Crimson Underwing and other Moths during August

 As a resident species in the UK, the Light Crimson Underwing (Catocala promissa), together with its close cousin the Dark Crimson Underwing (Catocala sponsa), is a Red Data Book (RDB) species, only to be found breeding in the New Forest area of Hampshire.

 The RDB status is for species vulnerable to extinction in Britain.

However, in recent years, both promissa and sponsa have been turning up at moth-traps on a regular basis throughout Sussex and beyond and there is little doubt in my mind that both species are now breeding in the county, most likely from migrant stock.

The Toadflax Brocade (Calophasia lunula) is another RDB species that has been resident in south-east England for several decades in small foothold coastal colonies. However, this is another species whose population is now expanding inland, probably augmented by migration and is now being recorded across much of Kent and East Sussex.

Until a couple of decades ago, The Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria) was only a rare migrant to Sussex. After managing to establish itself in a couple of foothold colonies along the coast it has become firmly established as a breeding species along the coastal areas of the county and has now spread inland.

This year has been an excellent migration year for moths and with our warming and drying climate in south-east England, many formerly scarce migrant species such as the Bordered Straw (Heliothis peltigera) have now become much more regular in their appearance in Sussex and are episodic breeders.

Light Crimson Underwing (Catocala promissa)

Toadflax Brocade (Calophasia lunula)

Larva feeding on purple toadflax in my wealden garden.

Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria)

This species made its first ever appearance in my wealden garden this year.

Bordered Straw (Heliothis peltigera)

Another species making its first appearance in my wealden garden.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Black Arches (Lymantria monacha) (aberration)

Tree-lichen Beauty (Cryphia algae)

This very variable migrant species is now probably breeding in UK.

Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon)

Mocha (Cyclophora annularia)

Clay Triple-lines (Cyclophora linearia)

Scorched Carpet (Ligdia adustata)

Delightful Damselflies

 I delight in watching damselflies as they fly through the long grass of a meadow or amongst pondside reeds. They can be quite tricky to photograph, especially if, like me, you are reliant on automatic focusing. They are worthy of close attention and here are a few images of damselflies and a dragonfly taken during July and August in a wealden wood.

White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) (male)

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) (female, drab form)

Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa) (male)

Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis)

This female fortuitously landed on this willow stem as I was photographing the ovipositing scars left by another female.

The female of this tandem pair is ovipositing by injecting her eggs under the bark of the willow stem.

A tandem pair at rest.

Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) (male)

Some Moths during July

 Although the moth-trap provides most of  my opportunities for moth photographs, the following images also include a few that I came across during daytime woodland walks.

Here are some moths during July.

Pine Hawkmoth (Hyloicus pinastri)

Black Arches (Lymantria monacha) (male)

Buff Arches (Habrosyne pyritoides)

Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata)

Great Oak Beauty (Hypomecis roboraria) (male)

Small Scallop (Idaea emarginata)

Beautiful Hook-tip (Laspeyria flexula)

Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)

Common Lutestring (Ochropacha duplaris)

Dingy Footman (Eilema griseola)

Evergestis limbata

Evergestis pallidata

Musotima nitidalis

Here are a couple of fly species to end with.

Exorista larvarum

This is a species of parasitic fly that mainly preys on moth larvae.

Eristalis intricaria

This is a species of hoverfly that is a bumble-bee mimic.

Female

Male

Some Butterflies during June and July

 It is still too early to sum up this year's season for butterflies and moths but it has certainly been a very good year for some species. The incessant hot and dry weather has brought an early end to the season for several species and walking around my local woods has felt more like September with just a few worn Gatekeepers and Silver-washed Fritillaries still about. 

However, all the signs point to 2022 being an excellent migration year. Following the arrival of multiple numbers of Striped Hawkmoths during the spring, reports of Swallowtails and Queen of Spain Fritillaries being sighted in south-east England has fuelled expectation that there may be more to be seen in late summer and autumn.

Here is a round up and some of the butterflies and other insects that I have seen during June and July.

Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) (male)

Predominantly a downland species in Sussex, a few small colonies also occur in woodland clearings.

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) (female)

Large White (Pieris brassicae) (mating)

Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)

Male

Female

Some markings on this Ringlet are slightly lanceolate in shape.

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) (mating)

Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) (mating)

This male Gatekeeper has fallen victim to a Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)

White Admiral (Limenitis camilla) (male)

This species had a good year in East Sussex but it's season came to a rapid end.

Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) (female, form valezina)

This valezina was quite happily basking in light rain and only retreated to the canopy when the rain became heavy.

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) (male)

At this time of year, Brimstones are busily nectaring in preparation for hibernation.

Wall (Lasiommata megera)

The Wall can still be found in discrete colonies away from the downs.

This male was one of several individuals enjoying the evening sunshine on Pevensey Levels.

These two different females were from a small colony in a wealden wood.

And a few other insects to finish with.

Woodland Grasshopper (Omocestus rufipes)

This very local species of grasshopper occurs in thinly scattered colonies in southern England.

Male

Female

Figwort Sawfly (Tenthredo scrophulariae) (male)

Great Pied Hoverfly (Volucella pellucens) (female)