Just a quick visit to the park today 3 in the afternoon, sunny but a bit windy.
Nice to see a few Butterflies and Sheildbug Nymphs.
Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
The Small Copper is usually seen in ones and twos, but in some years large numbers may be found at good sites. Males are territorial, often choosing a piece of bare ground or a stone on which to bask and await passing females. They behave aggressively towards any passing insects, returning to the same spot when the chase is over.
Though it remains a common and widespread species, the Small Copper declined throughout its range during the twentieth century. Widespread through Britain and Ireland, and occasionally visits gardens.
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
Bright orange-brown wings held with forewings angled above hind wings. Males have a thin black line through the centre of fore-wing. Essex Skipper is similar but has black tips to the antenna (best-viewed head-on) and shorter scent brand which runs parallel to forewing edge rather than angled.
Small Skippers are insects of high summer. Although they spend much of their time basking or resting among vegetation, they are marvellous flyers, manoeuvring expertly through tall grass stems. It is these darting flights, wings glinting golden-brown in the sunlight, that normally alert an observer to their presence. Closer examination will reveal many more individuals nectaring or basking with their wings held in the half-open posture distinctive of skipper butterflies. The butterfly is widespread in southern Britain and its range has expanded northwards in recent years.
Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) Nymphs
A large shieldbug with a dark wing membrane and reddish antennae (4th and 5th segments). Adults are bright green in the spring and summer, but finely punctured with dark marks. They become a darker bronze-brown prior to winter hibernation.
There is one generation per year; the nymphs feed on many deciduous trees and shrubs, and can be found from June to October. Later nymphs are often darker than those found earlier in the season. Newly-emerged adults may show a pale wing membrane, leading to possible confusion with Nezara viridula, a recent arrival in southern England.
Common and widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, becoming scarcer further north and as yet unrecorded from Scotland. May be found in many habitats, including parks and gardens
Hoverfly
Parent Shieldbug ( Elasmucha grisea)
nymphs.
Largely restricted to Silver birch trees, the peculiar Parent bug looks much like the Birch shield bug at first glance. But closer examination of the flanks will show its distinctive black-and-cream bands; the flanks of the Birch shield bug are pale green. The real difference, however, can be seen in their behaviour. While the other shield bugs lay their eggs and then leave their young to fend for themselves, the Parent Bug is a dedicated mother. She lays her eggs in a tight cluster on the underside of a Silver birch leaf, and then she broods her clutch, sitting protectively over the eggs until they hatch. She stays with her family until the young finally become adults.
(LINK)
Bumblebee
Might be a faded White tail ?
Male Cranefly
Female Eupeodes sp
A genus of similar looking species with a variety of yellow markings on the abdomen, including spots, lunulate spots and bands. The species with bands can be told from other similar genera by having the hairs on the margins of tergites 3 onwards entirely black. Identification can be tricky, with males of some species near indistinguishable without referring to microscopic features.
Female Cranefly
A rather tatty Small White (Pieris rapae)
It has brilliant white wings, with small black tips to the forewings and one or two wing spots. The undersides are a creamy white.
The Large White is similar but larger, and has a larger spot in the tip of the forewing that extends down the wing's edge.(LINK)
Green-veined White (Pieris napi)
The wings are white, with prominent greenish veins on the hind wing. The upper wings have one or more spots. The Small White is similar but lacks the green veins.
(LINK)
No comments:
Post a Comment