Our first engagement was with the Emperor Moth, Saturnia pavonia on Iping common. Repeating our visit from last year with the pheromone lures which have been in the freezer for nearly twelve months. The males reacted fairly quickly to the presence of the lure, sadly the first to arrive were a tad tatty. However it wasn't long before some fresher specimens turned up. The males are excited by the pheromone but not fooled, they arrive, search for a female but I guess they don't get the additional visual and tactile clues so disappear. Some of them will go back to roosting in nearby trees and if you have a sharp eyed companion then they can be easily found.
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Emperor Moth, Saturnia pavonia
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| Emperor Moth, Saturnia pavonia |
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| Emperor Moth, Saturnia pavonia |
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| Emperor Moth, Saturnia pavonia |
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| Emperor Moth, Saturnia pavonia |
Next up was a visit to Rewell Wood, our annual pilgrimage to record the Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. Boloria euphrosyne I have to say that they appear to be doing fairly well. As, despite the cold easterly breeze blowing up the ride, we found quite a few and observed them in areas where preciously, we hadn't seen them.
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Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne |
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| Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne |
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| Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne |
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| Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne |
Finally our third and final audience with yet another harbinger of spring - His Grace the Duke of Burgundy and fortuitously an early Duchess.
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| Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina |
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| Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina |
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| Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina |
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| Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina |
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| Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina |
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| Their Graces the Duke and Duchess of Burgundy at their new residence in Sussex |
A cornucopia of larval host plants - Cowslips, Primula veris at a density seldom seen.
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| Cowslips at the entrance to Kithurst Meadow |
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