Silver studs and Golden rings

Silver-studded Blues mating, Plebeius argus

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I led my first BC walk yesterday at Stedham and Iping Commons. The weather was perfect, sunny with some cloud. Before the walk started I had found 20 male Silver-studded Blues and a female so I was confident of a successful walk. Twelve butterfly enthusiasts enjoyed the sights and sounds of this beautiful terrain. We found several male SSBs by the path on Stedham Common and then arrived at the hot spot where about 20 males and 5 females were seen, including mating pairs. A huge Golden-ringed Dragonfly munched its way through a bee and an SSB was found wrapped up in a spider’s web. A Yellow-tail Moth caterpillar was also found. Other species seen included Green-veined White, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Large Skipper, Clouded Buff and Common Heath.  Spanish photographer Bego kept us busy and amused posing for her project about butterfly enthusiasts. After lunch we walked on Iping Common and found an enormous  Drinker moth caterpillar crossing the path. I estimated the total number of SSBs seen during the walk at 50.

Silver-studded Blue, Plebeius argus

Silver-studded Blue, Plebeius argus

Silver-studded Blue wrapped in spider web

While the spider was attending to the Silver-studded blue, a fly flew into its web.

Immediately the spider rushed off and wrapped it up then returned to the butterfly.

Silver-studded Blue, Plebeius argus

Meadow Grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus

fly-by on Armed Forces Day

Bego photographing Speckled Wood

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Clouded Buff, Diacrisia sannio

Drinker moth caterpillar, Euthrix potatoria

Drinker moth caterpillar, Euthrix potatoria

Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Cordulegaster boltonii

This huge dragonfly was feasting on a bee

photgraphing the dragonfly

Iping Common

Large Skipper, Ochlodes sylvanus

Large Skipper, Ochlodes sylvanus

Butterfly party

Yellow-tail Moth larva, Euproctis similis