Butterflies and moths

[Callie]

I think this is a creamy version of a white ermine moth...as opposed to a buff ermine moth....it was just hanging out on the trunk of a cherry tree

View attachment 387683View attachment 387685View attachment 387686

Not what I thought! It's a gypsy moth

 

[Callie]

Especially good in a soup when wild garlic is in season! We've cut a load to dry and use as nettle hay for livestock feed too.

Dock leaves and seed are technically edible too and I'm determined to start using those somehow since we have an entire field of almost nothing else. Ducks have been eating the seeds but we really want fewer ducks, not more..

Eat the ducks!

 

[iona]

Eat the ducks!

We will, they need to grow a bit bigger yet to be worth it though. The adults won't make good eating though it might still come to that if we can't find anyone else who wants them.

 

[Callie]

Squee! Hummingbird hawkmoth right outside my front door testing out my hanging basket flowers (and nextdoors recycling bin?!). So cool! Tried to get a pic but it was a bit jittery. Not even sure if the flowers are any good for nectar. SQUEEEEEE

 

[Artaxerxes]

Set up the table on the balcony to find this guy refusing to move off it. Had to gently lift him off with some paper

 

[prunus]

Ragwort isn’t a popular plant but I always leave some of it around for things like this.

 

[andysays]

Ragwort isn’t a popular plant but I always leave some of it around for things like this.

View attachment 390168

It's also the food plant for the cinnibar moth caterpillar

 

[StoneRoad]

It's also the food plant for the cinnibar moth caterpillar

View attachment 390169

I've only ever found those stripey chompers on groundsel.

 

[Callie]

Had a visit from a speckled wood last Friday



It seemed a bit dazed and confused (?maybe normal for a butterfly) so I gave it some of my banana

 

[heinous seamus]

It's also the food plant for the cinnibar moth caterpillar

View attachment 390169

I saw loads of these last year, never spotted one this year!

 

[heinous seamus]

Had a visit from a speckled wood last Friday

View attachment 390172View attachment 390174View attachment 390175

It seemed a bit dazed and confused (?maybe normal for a butterfly) so I gave it some of my banana

We have hundreds of these this year. They love blackberry bushes! Peacocks everywhere too.



The red admirals are out now as well.

 

[andysays]

I saw loads of these last year, never spotted one this year!

We usually get them at my allotment, but i don't think I've seen any this year either

 

[Epona]

We have hundreds of these this year. They love blackberry bushes! Peacocks everywhere too.

View attachment 390178

The red admirals are out now as well.

I'm seeing a lot more red admirals around here than usual.

Also Jersey tiger moths are all over the place now, they used to be only in the SW but their area is spreading due to warmer average summer temps, so the last couple of years they've been a regular sight in London

 

[Callie]

I think the jersey tiger moths are heading outside of London now and they've been here for quite some time. I have pictures from 10 years ago !

 

[Epona]

I think the jersey tiger moths are heading outside of London now and they've been here for quite some time. I have pictures from 10 years ago !

Yep but we have massive numbers of the things in East London this year!

 

[StoneRoad]

About the only butterfly that I've seen in any quantity this year has been Red Admirals, and even that has been in twos or threes on the rare sunny days.

 

[iona]

Beautiful angle shades moth in the polytunnel just now

 

[StoneRoad]

lovely, iona - I've been finding the relevant caterpillars recently ...


B&M - green caterpillar par StoneRoad2013, on ipernity

The bright colour caught me by surprise when I first found one, but since then I have spotted several about the garden ...

 

[pug]

 

[Callie]

Do you like pugs pug ???

 

[pug]

I don't really know anything about moths Callie, other than that they look pretty and keep still enough for a photo.

 

[quimcunx]

I don't have a photo but a hummingbird hawk moth has been hanging out in the garden. I've spent some happy minutes watching it up close on the buddleia.

 

[Callie]

I don't really know anything about moths Callie, other than that they look pretty and keep still enough for a photo.

Was just wondering if the username was related to the group of moths known as pugs! They're cute

 

[Epona]

I don't have a photo but a hummingbird hawk moth has been hanging out in the garden. I've spent some happy minutes watching it up close on the buddleia.

Oh they are lovely! Always nice to see one

 

[iona]

It must be hummingbird hawk moth week or something, my mum's sent me about a million videos of them in her garden (all wobbly and out of focus, every single one )

 

[Callie]

It must be hummingbird hawk moth week or something, my mum's sent me about a million videos of them in her garden (all wobbly and out of focus, every single one )

They're bloody difficult to capture! Too flappy!

 

[prunus]

They're bloody difficult to capture! Too flappy!

Yeah, the hawkmoths too (viz my mother that is ).

 

[gentlegreen]

Any ideas ?
Chomping on my dahlia ...
There's apparently only one so they're welcome.

 

[heinous seamus]

Saw loads of silver y moths today. They must have just emerged en masse!

 

[iona]

Saw loads of silver y moths today. They must have just emerged en masse!

Noticed some here today too!