A quick visit this morning to sober up from my day in Cardiff, the sun was out and it was nice and warm. I was up there to check the Small Blue Butterfly site. There were lots stuff on the wing and I saw lots of Large Red Damselflies and common Blue Damselflies. Butterflies were out but seemed to be in low numbers, I saw my first Small Heath of the year, a couple of Orange Tips, Dingy Skipper and got my first Burnet Companion moth eventually seeing lots today. Also saw a couple of Green Tiger Beetles on the site and just as I was giving up I spotted a male Small Blue on the east side of the site, it was in the long grass and I got in a right Tiswas changing my lens. I lost it and spent the next hour looking for it with no joy which means I willl have to go back up and look again. I also noticed that I did not see any Kidney Vetch on the site and was wondering if they got a different food plant for the caterpillar. Down near the wheel wash I am prety sure I saw a Narrow Bordered Bee Hawk Moth, I tried to follow but lost it and never saw it again.
Saw these smart little beetles but need to check what they are, saw loads of them and they seemed to be feeding on the pollen
Also I saw loads of these but was not sure if they were moths or caddis flies but have just been told there are moths and called Micropterix Calthella and very common on buttercups.
Also saw these Orange Tip's mating and it was great to see them up close and I am pretty sure a voice said get lost I am busy.
Some great photos.The Micropterix are a primitive group of moths that have mouth parts, with which they munch pollen, rather than the usual proboscis, for feeding on nectar.
ReplyDeleteI've seen those beetles up there too, but haven't identified them.
There is still Kidney Vetch up there,though it doesn't seem to be increasing. When I searched for Small Blue larvae, last year, I found quite a few large, mature plants, but couldn't find any young or seedling plants. Perhaps the shading from the tall conifers opposite is having an effect; if so, then hopefully they will be felled before too long.
Beetles could be female Swollen-thighed, Oedemera nobilis, they lack the males bulbous thighs. If the distal end of the wing casings don't meet - then its this species. If they do meet (and its not easy to tell from the photo's, the it could be Oncomera femorata.
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