Butterflies and moths

[campanula]

After seeing another swallowtail in my wood this year (the 2nd time I have ever seen one in in the wild), I honestly thought my lepidoptery year couldn't get better...but I found a Clifden Nonpareil (Blue Underwing, just beginning to pupate in the woods. September (and Moth Night in late August) cannot come soon enough for me now.
'Extinct' Clifden nonpareil moth returns to East Anglia after 50 .

 

[bimble]

That’s the best bit of news I’ve seen for ages.

 

[heinous seamus]

Anyone know what this is? There were a few of them fluttering about in a meadow during the daytime.

 

[Cloo]

We've just grown and released (except to the one that only hatched on Saturday morning and isn't quite ready yet) 5 painted lady butterflies.

Three popped out pretty much straight away - this one seemed to be the smartest and eventually climbed out, spent a little time flapping on the edge of the habitat, then hopped over and had a good drink from a neighbouring flower.

 

[moose]

They're a bloody hazard. I'll be minding my own, reading my Kindle in bed, when a massive moth will come and land on it and not shift.

 

[Callie]

I lurve a moth. A selection of moths I did see:



?angle shades
Some sort of wave
Box tree moth (boooo!)
Small magpie

 

[platinumsage]

They are the only thing our cat will eat except for cat food.

 

[campanula]

Anyone know what this is? There were a few of them fluttering about in a meadow during the daytime.

Shaded broad-bar.
This time of year is the season of the hawk moths...which are just fantastic, but yep, I also love a moth, Callie

 

[farmerbarleymow]

They're a bloody hazard. I'll be minding my own, reading my Kindle in bed, when a massive moth will come and land on it and not shift.

Live and let live. They won't do you any harm.

 

[Callie]

Bit flappy though.

There was quite a big, pale one in the garden tonight while I was watering plants. Couldn't see it very well though

 

[Calamity1971]

View attachment 222127

Anyone know what this is? There were a few of them fluttering about in a meadow during the daytime.

Mowing the lawn today I had to keep stopping to shoo them away. Wonder why they stay so low level? I think it was them anyway, looked a little bit brighter.

 

[moose]

Live and let live. They won't do you any harm.

Oh, I like 'em really, just annoying when they obscure the page, and I have a fear of trapping them in the cover

 

[campanula]

We are going to be making moth traps in readiness for MothNight. To buy a readymade Skinner traps is around £200...while a Robinson trap is around £350! Can be made for between £5 - £60 (depending on the lightbulb). Saving our egg boxes already.

 

[StoneRoad]

Not seen many moths or butterflies this year so far, which is disappointing.

My great-nieces had a painted lady habitat as a lockdown science project (they're shielding). Successfully released !
(The older one wanted either ants or worms but liked the caterpillars)

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Oh, I like 'em really, just annoying when they obscure the page, and I have a fear of trapping them in the cover

You probably need to read proper books - it's probably the light from the kindle that is attracting them.

 

[Cloo]

The final butterfly, Lemonade, has flown the nest today

 

[Saunders]

Happy trails Lemonade.
Ive seen loads of those little blue butterflies this year. I used to see them all the time but maybe just haven’t noticed them in recent years. They’re one of those things I associate with childhood; maybe in this strange spring/ summer quiet I’ve been more aware of nature.

 

[quiet guy]

Had Painted Lady/ Red Admiral butterfly come into my back yard and then rest on the fence panel for a couple of hours.

 

[Callie]

I recently found out about a creature called a hornet moth, Sesia apiformis



That's pretty cool

 

[stethoscope]

Two from my state sanctioned walks...

Marbled White butterfly

Privet Hawkmoth

 

[Numbers]

We’ve had loads in our garden this year, the admiral one, a white one and another with a tinge of lime/green.

Sadly the cats love them and seem to catch them quite easily

 

[brogdale]

Got a lovely Rusty tussock moth caterpillar feasting on one of my geranium pots at the moment. Probably my own fault for putting the pot by a dead tree trunk covered in ivy.

 

[prunus]

If we’re allowed pics from last year here‘s a lovely elephant hawk moth sitting on my finger (early July, western Peak District):

 

[StoneRoad]

2020 has been good for moths ...
Had a light emerald moth come visiting last night. First time I've seen one.

Lovely markings and very pale green.

and a few nights ago the visitor was a brimstone moth.

(I did take some images)

Normally, our garden has plenty of butterflies & bees at this time of year.

 

[chainsawjob]

Privet Hawkmoth

And we saw the caterpillar of this I beleive whilst camping last weekend

 

[chainsawjob]

White Plume Moth - in my garden, about a month ago.

 

[stethoscope]

Hawkmoths are

Love the colours of Elephant Hawkmoths. Saw a Hummingbird hawkmoth the other weeek in the churchyard but there was no way I could get a pic quick enough with my phone.

 

[Duncan2]

Got ragwort in the garden which is rapidly being devoured by piles of cinnabar caterpillars.Hopefully this means that we shall soon see a host of cinnabar moths which look rather dramatic being black and red.Moths are every bit as delightful as butterflies hope to encounter a Clifden nonpareil some day.

 

[stethoscope]

Some more from the last month or so....

Swallowtail moth

Small Copper butterfly

 

[ska invita]

My impression is it's been a good year for butterflys... Seen loads (don't know their names) but then again I've been furloughed, so...

I gather uk moth populations have utterly collapsed in recent years. I just never see big moths like I did even ten years ago (I live in London)

Only get little shit moths now which seem to thrive. I know two people with moth infestations at the mo, one in Peckham one in Brockley