Tuesday, 12 July 2022

Butterflies galore!

8th July 2022 - Warm, sunny weather and virtually no wind seemed to provide the perfect conditions for butterflies in Andy and Polly M's garden at the weekend. Overall they spotted a whopping fourteen different species, several appearing for the first time this year in the garden: Brimstone, Comma, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Large SkipperSmall SkipperLarge WhiteSmall White, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Peacock, Red Admiral, Ringlet and Small Tortoiseshell.

Large White - dark colouration extending well down the side of the wing

Small White - single black spot, with no veining

Brimstone - with its characteristic 'hooked' wing shape

Gatekeeper - two white spots in the black eye-spot, and extensive bright orange on the upper side

Gatekeeper - two white spots in the 'eye spot'
as well as distinctive uneven row of white spots on hind wing

Meadow Brown - single white spot, and lacking the row of white spots

Meadow Brown - upperside lacking the extensive bright orange colour of the Gatekeeper

Ringlet - distinctive 'target' spot pattern

Common Blue - strong orange areas in the outside row of spots
and unbroken white fringe to the wing

Small Skipper - only the size of a 1p piece, often resting with wings closed

Small Skipper - orange ends to the underside of the antennae 
(cf Essex Skipper which have black ends)

Large Skipper - prominent broad diagonal dark stripe (sex brand) 

Comma - bright orange and with distinctive outline

Red Admiral - a very tatty specimen

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