Small Tortoiseshell and White-letter Hairstreak

Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae

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On July 4th and 5th I visited Chiddingfold Forest where I met Mark on his local patch. There were plenty of butterflies, including a Small Tortoiseshell on the path.

 On July 14th I checked the path that runs by the Littlehampton Golf Course for White-letter Hairstreaks. I saw one here on 17th July last year nectaring on brambles and that is where I spotted one yesterday. They can spend over 10 minutes walking over a flower head, so can be difficult to see unless they fly.  This one landed 3 meters away while I waited for some action. I also saw a mass of tiny (2mm) larvae with eggs underneath a hogweed leaf. In the afternoon I visited Houghton Forest and found a hotspot where four male Silver-washed Fritillaries were nectaring on brambles. There were plenty of Red Admirals along the paths, some attracted by the plentiful dog faeces. I was pleased to find my first Essex Skipper of the year, Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Small Whites, Large Skippers and a Peacock.

Chiddingfold Forest, July 4:

Black-tailed Skimmer ♂, Orthetrum cancellatum

Dark Strawberry Tortrix, Celypha lacunana

Large Skipper ♂, Ochlodes sylvanus

Musk Mallow, Malva moschata

Orange Hawkweed, Pilosella aurantiaca

Rove beetle, Ocypus brunnipes

Wild Service Tree, Sorbus torminalis

Wild Service Tree

Littlehampton, July 14:

Gatekeeper, Pyronia tithonus

Large Skipper, Ochlodes sylvanus

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta

Small White, Pieris rapae

unidentified 2mm larvae and eggs under hogweed leaf

unidentified 2mm larvae and eggs under hogweed leaf

cocoon under hogweed leaf

White-lipped Snail, Cepaea hortensis

Peacock, Inachis io

White-letter Hairstreak, Satyrium w-album

Houghton Forest, July 14:

Essex Skipper, Thymelicus lineola

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta

Silver-washed Fritillary ♂, Argynnis paphia