FLEABANE AND SMALL BUTTERFLIES: 29th August

Posted on August 29, 2023 by pennyphilcox

The lanes and roadways, at least down south, are rich with Fleabane at the moment- a great late summer, bright wild flower and good for pollinators at this time of year. The name tells you all you need to know as this plant, fresh or dried and burned, was used in people’s homes and strewn in their floors, for centuries, to drive away fleas. It resembles a small sun-flower and yesterday, in the sun in East Sussex it was being nectared by many insects, including the stunning Small Copper, out in some numbers at last. There were also a few Small Heath butterflies, less conspicuous but still a delight to see. Conditions: An unsettled summer continues that way, warm in the sun and cool in the cloud, with huge downpours a couple of nights ago. Temperature: Max 20 Min 12 C

VERVAIN: 25th August 2023

Posted on August 25, 2023 by pennyphilcox

VERVAIN- I must have walked past this tiny flower with a big reputation many times without noticing or identifying it. A plant of wasteland and waysides, it is tough and resilient. It had a mythical reputation for staunching Christ’s blood and was long believed to have medical and magical powers. It’s Scientific name- Verbena Officinalis shows it is related to other verbenas, including lemon verbena. ‘Verbena’ shows that in Roman times it was an altar plant used during sacrifices. Druids and others used it in magic spells. The officinalis means ‘of the apothecary’s shop’ and it was once believed to protect against infection, including the plague, and was worn around the head held to ward off headaches! I’m glad I now know how to recognise Vervain!

Froghoppers and Leafhoppers: 18th August 2023

Posted on August 18, 2023 by pennyphilcox

Froghoppers and Leafhoppers are “True Bugs”– yes bugs is a formal description of some of our insects! There aren’t many birds showing at this time of year- many skulk in the bushes and undergrowth as their flight is restricted due to moulting, and there is more food available in the wild at present- so here’s a bug or two. The Froghoppers and Leafhoppers are so named because they can jump huge distances relative to their size of a few millimetres. Their mouth parts have a piercing beak which allows them to suck sap from their host plants, which is how they feed. The Red and Black Froghopper is new to me- I found it in the garden this year. The Rhododendron Leafhopper is similarly dramatically coloured but only around in the south of England- so far. It was introduced from the USA in the early 1900’s and can cause fungal infections, preventing the Rhododendron from flowering so I’m quite glad it’s restricted to the south. The bush I was watching was covered in the leafhoppers, and each time they jump there is a clear clicking sound so as you brush by there are multiple clicks drawn your attention to them. Conditions: Still an unsettled period- sunny intervals yesterday, rain today and storms forecast tonight. Temperature: Max 20 Min 15C.

NEW MOTHS FOR ME: 12th August 2023

Posted on August 12, 2023 by pennyphilcox

One of the pleasures of being in East Sussex this last week has been the moths that I haven’t seen before, some of which I wouldn’t get in my Sheffield garden.The spectacular Jersey Tiger is being seen in high numbers this year, spreading out from the SouthWest wherein is usually seen most. Note the ‘dog-face’ pattern on the Black Arches. The one shown is a male- it has bigger antennae than the female in order to pick up the hard-to-detect pheromone given off by the female when she is ready to mate. Conditions: Variable weather still- a couple of hot, sunny days amidst rainy, windy spells. Temperature: Min 15- Max 21C.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly: 8th August 2023

Posted on August 8, 2023 by pennyphilcox

The Golden-ringed Dragonfly is large and easy to identify, with its gold and black rings and bright green eyes.. It is a fierce hunter and will catch and eat a wide range of large insects, including Bees, Wasps and Damselflies as well as other Dragonflies. That shows how speedy and acrobatic it can be in flight. On the wing from May-September, and breeding in streams, especially on acidic soils of heaths and moorland it can be seen hunting and resting far from these sites. No other Dragonfly looks like this one, so you can be sure you have got the species right, unlike some of our other Dragonflies which can be harder to tell apart!. Conditions: A more settled, sunnier spell has started, after unsettles, wide and wet days. Temperature: Max 18- Min 10C.

CANARY-SHOULDERED THORN MOTH: 2nd August 2923

Posted on August 2, 2023 by pennyphilcox

There is something magical about opening the moth lure in the morning, having no idea what -if anything- will have been lured inside by the light, even in a year like this where insects are worryingly scarce. Here are a few of the moths that appeared a couple of nights ago, since when it has been much too wet to even try to lure them. Around 800 of our moth species in the UK are micro-moths, notoriously difficult to identify so I have had help with the three here from a Facebook Moth group. The other moth- the Canary-shouldered Thorn moth is easy enough even for me to identify. It is a beautiful and extraordinary moth, with a bright yellow ‘collar’ and beautifully leaf-like wings. It is pretty common, especially near deciduous woodland, as we are, the larvae feeding on deciduous trees. Still it is the first time I have found one in the garden and I think it is beautiful. Conditions: Many wet days still. Mild but rather relentless. Temperature: Min 14- Max 18C..