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4 DSC_1113 Episyrphus balteatus village green ECC

Wildlife Blog by Ron Allen – 26th February 2021

A week of insects    Friday 26 February 2021

We have had a few warm nights this week that brought out the moths and snails and today (Friday), was spectacularly sunny producing a whole host of other small creatures. I have to narrow down the list to just ten and so here we go.

Various moths appeared this week from the tiny red-spotted pale cream Agonopterix ocellana micro-moth (image 1) to the rather more typically sized Early Grey moth (image 2). Searching the garden by torch-light produced this pretty White-lipped Banded Snail (image 3).

Over on the village green in the brilliant sunshine today, was the Marmalade Hoverfly (image 4) and feeding on the snowdrops were Honey Bees (image 5) and a large queen Buff-tailed Bumble Bee (image 6). My first ladybird of the year was resting on a grass stem and this was the tiny 16-spot Ladybird (image 7).

I had hoped for butterflies and was pleased to see two brilliant yellow male Brimstone Butterflies (image 8). These were patrolling rapidly up and down the hedge at the eastern end of the Green, usually in opposite directions and with a spiralling combative territorial dance whenever they met.  They were too fast for a good picture but this one will form a record. An unseen single Peacock Butterfly rose from one of the paths just as my foot was approaching it and flew safely off and before I could think of raising my camera.

Up in the hedge, a pair of bluetits were perched together (image 9) and after a while they flew off across the Green into a nearby tree.  Blue tits have been exploring nesting sites and hopefully will be using our nest boxes soon.

Finally, close examination of our south facing house wall produced two tiny zebra jumping spiders (image 10). We usually have a colony here of these pretty little black and white striped active spiders.

Let us hope for some more sunny days to come.

Take care and keep safe.

1 DSC_1098 Agonopterix ocellana EC
Image 1 – Agonopteris ocellana is a tiny nocturnal micro-moth about 1cm long, pale cream or white with a brilliant red spot on each wing. No common name unfortunately but worth getting your strong reading specs on to see.
2 DSC_1048 Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)
Image 2 – In the moth trap was this Early Grey Moth, Xylocampa areola, with its attractive black-marked silvery-grey wings.
3 DSC_1034 Banded snail EC
Image 3 – The banded White-lipped Snail Cepia hortensis is always welcome in the garden, but also to thrushes that like to break their shells and eat them. There is also a fascinating pink form.
4 DSC_1113 Episyrphus balteatus village green ECC
Image 4 – A dark form of the pretty Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus was sunning on a laurel leaf at the edge of the Green. This one must have overwintered; later in the year many migrants arrive from southern Europe.
5 DSC_1147 Honey bee approaches snowdrop ECC
Image 5 – Honey bees, Apis mellifera, were buzzing around the snowdrops on the village green collecting nectar and bright orange pollen.
6 DSC_1159 bumble bee at snowdrop ECC
Image 6 – Several bumble bees were flying across the village green and must recently have come out of hibernation. This queen Buff-tailed Bumble Bee, Bombus terrestris, was collecting pollen from snowdrops.
7 DSC_1189 16-spot ladybird ECC
Image 7 – I was pleased to find a ladybird, the tiny black-spotted pale-brown 16-spot ladybird Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata.
8 DSC_1258 Brimstone EC --
Image 8 – Two male Brimstone Butterflies were patrolling a hedge in the eastern tip of the village green; almost always in opposite directions and fighting in a spiralling furore whenever they met.
9 DSC_1341 Blue tit pair EC -
Image 9 – A pair of bluetits were perched up in the hedge and flew off together across the village green.
10 DSC_1493 Jumping spider ECC --
Image 10 – The sun was playing directly on our house wall and sure enough, there were two tiny Zebra Jumping Spiders (Salticus scenicus) running across the warm bricks. They hunt their prey by jumping on them rather than using a web.

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