Post by nomad on May 5, 2015 10:56:40 GMT
Yesterday,we visited the the limestone Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire to see what I could find and photograph. We made for a steep south facing limestone bank with grassland and scrub that consisted of some juniper, hawthorn, bramble and many young oaks. Arriving early, the first butterfly to be on the wing was the dull looking Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages It is quite hard to get a decent shot of this butterfly because 99% of the time they like to rest in the grass. The Skipper were soon joined by the Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina (Why it has this strange English name nobody seems to know, do you?) . In Britain these tiny chequered box butterflies are a rarity and this unimproved bank/hill is a haven for them. The males are very territorial and always occupy the bottom of the slope where there is open scrub. The brighter females do not fly much and when they do they wander further and are therefore much harder to find . In Britain, this is a fussy little butterfly and in a large area of limestone grassland of which the bank is a small separate part, there are just three small colonies. The female is very choosey where she lays here eggs and will only do so here on Cowslips that have the right size leaves and these have to be partially in shade.
The limestone bank.
The first Brown Argus Aricia agestis were on the wing, looking very fresh and although mainly dark brown, shades of blue appear as the sun catches the wings. A few Small Heaths Coenonympha pamphilus had also emerged. Green Hairstreaks Callophrys rubii were common and being one of only two true green European butterflies, very pleasing to look at. In the woodland above, there were some nice Speckled Woods Pararge aegeria including some nice females One had some very pale yellow markings. On the woodland edge, a Orange-tip female Anthocharis cardamines was egg-laying and then resting on one of the foodplants Garlic Mustard.
A pair of Erynnis tages rest after courtship.
Hamearis lucina. Top two female, bottom male.
Aricia agestis
Callophrys rubi aberration caecus. No white verso markings.
Pararge aegeria. Females, Spring form
Anthocharis cardamines female.
The limestone bank.
The first Brown Argus Aricia agestis were on the wing, looking very fresh and although mainly dark brown, shades of blue appear as the sun catches the wings. A few Small Heaths Coenonympha pamphilus had also emerged. Green Hairstreaks Callophrys rubii were common and being one of only two true green European butterflies, very pleasing to look at. In the woodland above, there were some nice Speckled Woods Pararge aegeria including some nice females One had some very pale yellow markings. On the woodland edge, a Orange-tip female Anthocharis cardamines was egg-laying and then resting on one of the foodplants Garlic Mustard.
A pair of Erynnis tages rest after courtship.
Hamearis lucina. Top two female, bottom male.
Aricia agestis
Callophrys rubi aberration caecus. No white verso markings.
Pararge aegeria. Females, Spring form
Anthocharis cardamines female.
