Bugs

The glorious weather continues (although the nights are still on the chilly side) and it was a trip to the garden centre, followed by strenuous work catching up on some of those put-off tasks. The lawn now has a 'meadow' section, that is to say, left to its own devices! Invertebrates found there today included Green Shield Bug,  Hawthorn Shield Bug and two of the pyralid moth Pyrausta aurata - all first records for the year. A male Xysticus cristatus (a c.6mm 'crab' spider) was turfed out of the kitchen in to the berberis shrub where, no doubt, it will prey on the pyralid, or, strangely enough, the ants which run up and down the Honeysuckle stem growing through said bush.

Garden moth trapping last night revealed:

•  648 White-shouldered House Moth -1
• 1906 Brimstone Moth - 1
• 2187 Common Quaker - 1
• 2190 Hebrew Character - 2

Hawthorn Shieldbug

Green Shieldbug

1361 Pyrausta aurata

Xysticus cristatus

1906 Brimstone Moth

Early Moths

I don't mean Early Moth Theria primaria  but moth trapping in my Garden (SP9326) during the very warm spell this April turned up Bedfordshire's earliest Pale Prominent Pterostoma palpina, and at the Local Patch (TL0024) the second earliest Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica.

Pale Prominent Pterostoma palpina
08/04/2011
SP9326

Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica
01/04/2011
TL0024

Holly Blue

The Holly Blue seems to be having a good season. This individual was basking in the unseasonably warm sun in the garden.

Mega Moon

The Moon is currently up to 18% larger than normal due to a close approach.

Rookery Clay Pits

Where man has left the land untouched for many years a diverse flora and fauna has so far survived. There are plans afoot which, against the wishes of many, will destroy some of these areas. The Grizzled Skipper and the Wall Brown will disappear for good ...

Duke of Burgundy

After a cloudy start, the sun finally emerged on the Bedfordshire chalk, and with it a few butterflies - including this fine Duke of Burgundy.

Rammamere Heath & King's Wood NNR

It has taken over twenty years of (casual) searching to find an Adder on Rammamere Heath (Buckinghamshire). Not suprising, however, as a great deal was learnt in April on how to best locate them. Weather-wise it was sunny intervals (4/8 Octas), with the mercury approaching 14 Celcius and a coolish SSW wind at Beaufort 3-4. This individual was basking out of the wind on the sunny side of a tangle of dead bracken and birch branches.

Canon 40D, Tamron 180mm macro,
1/200sec, f / 10, ISO 200, tripod

There were plenty of male Green Longhorn Adela reaumurella moths on the wing around the birch saplings.