Wednesday 3 August 2016

Brown Hairstreaks and Walls

Brown Hairstreak ♂, Thecla betulae on grassland
On Sunday morning I met Mark Colvin at Steyning Downland. At 9:13am Mark spotted a male Brown Hairstreak land in a tree high up above the fenced area. It came down to the grassland and kept moving from grassy patch to grassy patch. Later I spotted one at the top of the hill in the trees. At 10:52 Mark saw a female on a one metre high prunus by the fence in the reserve area. It then flew to the grassland and moved from grassy area to grassy area. There were 4 Wall at the top of the hill, plus plenty of Gatekeepers, Comma, Large White, Peacocks, Red Admirals, Whites.
  Afterwards I did my Mill Hill transect: Essex Skipper, Brimstone, Small White 9, Chalkhill Blue 15, Red Admiral 4, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock 9, Marbled White, Gatekeeper 19, Meadow Brown 25, Small Heath 2. Moths: Common Purple and Gold, Wavy-barred Sable, Six-spot Burnet, Lesser Treble-bar, Small Fan-footed Wave, Cinnabar larvae.
the rifle range (from WW II)
first sighting of male Brown Hairstreak at 9:13

it then come down into the fenced area

Brown Hairstreak ♂ on grassland
Gatekeeper, Pyronia tithonus
Gatekeeper, ab. partimtransformis
Gatekeepers mating

Large White, Pieris brassicae ♀
Large White ♀
Turf Running-spider, Philodromus cespitum (a crab spider)
Wall ♀, Lasiommata megera
Wall ♀
Wall ♂, Lasiommata megera
Wall ♂
Wall ♂
Brown Hairstreak ♀, Thecla betulae, when first seen
she then flew to the grassland
proboscis on top of leaf
proboscis on under leaf
proboscis curled
showing abdomen
proboscis curled on top of leaf
moving along grass stem

proboscis uncurled
best shot of upperside showing female's orange flash
she moved to brambles
these 3 photos show the two galea, the parts of the proboscis
these links provide some info about the proboscis, and the way the two galea are joined by legulae to form the feeding tube:


No comments:

Post a Comment

Please select 'Name/URL' from 'Comment as' drop down box and add your name, thanks.