Adonis Blues, Damselflies and a Small Dusty Wave

male Azure Damselfly, Coenagrion puella

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

On Thursday I found a Small Dusty Wave moth on the glass of the outer door of the flats. It measures 21mm. (note, I originally identified it as a Mullein Wave. This id was corrected by Ben in 2017). Later I visited Rewell Wood and found another Hook-streak Grass-veneer, a tiny Speckled Bush Cricket nymph and a pristine Speckled Wood.

On Friday I spotted a blue window in the grey skies and was able to complete my Mill Hill butterfly transect. In the 40 minutes it took the sky changed from 95% sun to 100% cloud. Adonis Blues were abundant at the bottom of the hill, including a mating pair. I also spotted a Common Heath moth, a Small Heath and 2 Green Hairstreaks. I then stopped at Woods Mill, the Sussex Wildlife Trust reserve and HQ, where I found Azure and Large Red Damselflies in a meadow and plenty of micro fauna on woodland nettle beds by the path. including tiny mating Green Dock Beetles.

Small Dusty Wave, Idaea seriata

Small Dusty Wave underside

Rewell Wood:

Hook-streak Grass-veneer, Crambus lathoniellus

Robber fly eating fly, Dioctria baumhaueri

Sanicle, Sanicula europaea

Garden snail, Helix aspersa

Speckled Bush Cricket nymph, Leptophyes punctatissima

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Mill Hill:

male Adonis Blue, Lysandra bellargus

Adonis Blues mating, Lysandra bellargus
female on left

Common Heath, Ematurga atomaria

underside of Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages

Woods Mill:

female Azure Damselfly, Coenagrion puella

Azure Damselfly, male, Coenagrion puella

Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Celypha lacunana

tiny fly, id needed please!

mating Green Dock Beetles, Gastrophysa viridula

Soldier beetle, Cantharis pellucida

Large Red Damselfly, male, Pyrrhosoma nymphula

Lesser Stitchwort, Stellaria graminea

Scorpion fly, male, Panorpa species

tiny weevil, id needed please!

Yellow Dung fly, Scatophaga stercoraria