Camberwell Beauty - Deans Lane

I had a Camberwell Beauty fly strongly NW over Deans Lane at about 12.05 this afternoon. I had stopped off for a break and to see if there was any raptors moving... more in hope than expectation. It was sunny and warm with a few scattered clouds and a moderate SW breeze.

The insect flew over my head, so I first picked it up about 2ft above my head and about 4ft in front of me. It was clearly a large Vannessid but about 10% bigger than a Peacock. Underside was blackish with a pale broad border to the sides of fore and hind wing except the leading edges. As the butterfly flew north it followed the hillside down remaining about 6 - 8 ft off the ground so the Upperwing became visible. This was a dark maroon with the pale border being a yellowish white with two small 'tails' on the hind wing. A row of blue spots was also clearly noted inside the border on all wings.

The butterfly was in view for less than a minute as it powered NW interspersing glides with a series of fast wing beats.

No other butterflies were noted on this track only a few whites flitting around the grassy hill side.

Invaders

Has anyone else noticed that our Chestnut Trees have been hit very hard by Leaf Miners this year. I have seen this infestation on a few trees in previous years but not to the extent that it is this year. I have been looking at the trees since early June and all the trees I have seen look as if Autumn has come early for them.

I have travelled up and down the country from North Cumbria and as to South Dorset any every Tree I have seen has been affected. Not a single Tree seems to have escaped this infestation from the Leaf Mining moth named Horse Chestnt Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella. One thing that I have noticed and it’s the same pattern on every infected tree I've seen is that the infestation is heavier in the lower branches and gets less intense higher up the trees regardless of the height of the trees.

From Mark Rossell

Garden Safari

You don't have to go far to find new things that you'd never heard of before - like this bug I found in the garden today whilst looking at wasps .


Deraeocoris ruber - or at least I'm pretty sure that's what it is.


I thought all the garden wasps were Common - but realised today that I'm getting a form of Median Wasp ..





Also loads of these in the garden:


Episyrphus balteatus


And a couple from the moth trap.


Nicrophorus investigator - a smelly mite-ridden burying beetle


Oak Bush-cricket

Common Hawker - New Lount NR

Mark Rossell today confirmed Common Hawker at New Lount. He recorded two males and a female. I wonder if the species is finally colonising VC55?

Forest Bug

This Forest Bug is another moth-trap incidental, turned up last night in my garden trap.

Probable Common Hawker - New Lount NR

This arrived in my inbox from Ian Merrill via Dave Gray. I thought it deserved posting on here... I'll try and follow this up at some point this week.

Hello Ian,

I have been at New Lount Nature Reserve SK3918 today and saw amongst others species 2 male Common Hawkers, Aeshna juncea.
They were patrolling the eastern pool around midday when the sun was out.
A large hawker constantly patrolling the pool, chasing the four spots and even holding it's own with the Emperor.
I got a good size comparison with Emperor, Southern and Brown Hawker.
I got views down to 5m through binoculars (10x). Narrow yellow thoracic side stripes, blue abdomen spots on body held straight.
Unfortunately I could confirm a yellow costa but the wings had a brown suffusion.
Thought I would let you know so you can have a look tomorrow if the weather is OK.

Regards,

Matthew

Broad-leaved Helleborine - Cloud Wood

If anyone is interested in Broad-leaved Helleborine at Cloud Wood SK 417214 they just about as good as they get now. This was our third visit to Cloud Wood in the last 4 weeks to get some photos of this species and today we think we got it right.

Something that I noticed when I was photographing them today if you look at the close up photos carefully there is a difference between the Petals, colour and shape. I can’t help wondering if there are two different types in Cloud Wood??

Obviously I am no expert at this but maybe someone could let me know about the differences between them.

Mark Rossell