Blue

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)

For years now, I've been trying to get a picture of this little butterfly: the Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus). The problem is that it almost never, EVER alights! Instead, it flits around the garden, touching down (if at all) for only the briefest of moments. About the time the camera focuses, the butterfly is off again. But last week, I got lucky. This female returned again and again to a bush just outside the house, presumably checking it out as a potential site to lay its eggs. The butterfly gets its name from the primary host of its spring larvae. That first generation feeds principally on the buds, berries and terminal leaves of the Holly tree while a second generation, which emerges later in the summer, is found primarily on Ivy. In both generations, larvae will also feed on various other shrubs and vines, including spindles, brambles, dogwoods, snowberries and gorses. Our garden has both Holly and Ivy, plus plenty of brambles, so I'm sure this little female can find somewhere appropriate to lay.

The Holly Blue is one of two blue species we get here. The other, Common Blue, is distinguished by orange spotting on the underwing. Adult Holly Blues emerge earlier in the spring – as early as April, as opposed to June for the Common Blue. According to the Butterfly Conservation's website, the Holly Blue tends to fly higher than other blues, which typically stick close to the ground; maybe that's why I don't seem to see as many of them. They also go through big population swings from year to year, primarily because they're regularly attacked by a parasitoid ichneumon wasp, which lays its eggs in the butterfly's developing caterpillars. The caterpillars serve as the only host for the wasp, so when their numbers inevitably collapse, so does the wasp's population. This allows the butterflies to recover, with the wasp numbers slowly following. And so the cycle continues! The butterfly is common and widespread in England and Wales, and rarer in Scotland and northern Ireland, though it is spreading steadily northwards. Elsewhere, it is common across much of Eurasia – and serves as the national butterfly of Finland.

Boxing day

Box-tree Moth caterpillar (Cydalima perspectalis)

Our poor Box hedge is doomed. Like all of the Box in southern England, it is under attack and daily getting weaker. The culprit? The Box-tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis), whose voracious caterpillars devour the plant's leaves and sometimes strip the bark from its stems. Native to south-eastern Asia, the moths first arrived in the UK back in 2007, a year after they first arrived in mainland Europe; it's thought they were accidentally imported with shipments of Box from Asia. By 2014, they were well-established in London, and they've been expanding quickly out from there ever since. Though they have a range of natural predators, including parasitic wasps and flies, spiders, ants and some garden birds, they're proving quite difficult to control. Many of the Box hedges in the neighbouring village have been completely decimated, and ours is quickly following suit. Box-tree Moths have at least two generations per year, which compounds the problem. Females lay their rather flat, pale yellow eggs in overlapping rows on Box leaves. Those laid in late summer/autumn overwinter as small, early instar caterpillars, tucked snugly into shelters made of Box leaves webbed together with silk. As the days warm in early spring, they emerge to feast, growing rapidly. By June, the first generation has pupated and emerged as adults. (The rather handsome adult moth is pictured below.) Another generation of adults emerges in late July and August. Though we're hoping for some predator to make short work of our local invaders, we're becoming increasingly resigned to the fact that we'll probably have to eventually replace the hedge.

Adult (Mike's picture)

Soldier

Cantharis rustica

For weeks now, the garden has been awash with Common Red Soldier Beetles. But last month, we found one of their less common relatives patrolling the pocket meadow – a Rustic Soldier Beetle (Cantharis rustica), also sometimes known as the Rustic Sailor Beetle. It's a predator, hunting for smaller invertebrates on flowers in open woodland, arable fields, parks, gardens and grasslands. This is one of the larger soldier beetles, measuring in at 9-12.5 mm (just under half an inch). The black heart-shaped spot on its red pronotum (the part of the beetle just behind its head) is distinctive. Fine, dense hairs coat its black elytra (the hard cases that cover its wings) and its legs are blackish with red femoras (the part of the legs closest to the body). Despite the fact that we seldom see it here, it's widespread across south-eastern England, becoming less so the further north you go; it's uncommon in Scotland. Elsewhere in the world, it occurs across Europe to central Russia. Its larvae develop in leaf litter, munching small invertebrates, from late summer through to spring. They pupate in March and April, emerging as adults from mid-May through early July.

18 spots

Eighteen-spot Ladybird (Myrrha octodecimguttata)

I treated myself to a new camera last week. It can take much closer macro shots than my previous camera could, so I've spent the last seven days prowling around the garden looking for subjects and loving the results. To be honest, it's been a revelation; we've added more than a dozen new insects to our list this week! This Eighteen-spot Ladybird (Myrrha octodecimguttata) was one of them. Its presence on a Common Nettle plant was a bit of surprise. Normally, they're associated with trees – particularly the topmost branches of Scots Pines. That said, we do have a sizable Scots Pine in one corner of the property, so perhaps that's where it started. This is one of the smaller ladybirds, measuring only 4-5 mm (less than 1/4-inch) and its rich brown colour is distinctive. The pronotum (the section just behind the insect's head, unfortunately not very visible in this photograph) has a rounded brown "M" mark, which is diagnostic. The similarly marked Cream-coloured Ladybird is larger and darker, and it lacks the curved white marks at the leading edge of the elytra (the hard shell covering the wings). Despite its name, the Eighteen-spot Ladybird can show fewer than 18 spots, as neighbouring spots merge together in some individuals. Like many ladybirds, this one is a predator, hunting aphids that feed on conifers. Apparently, it breeds in the treetops, laying its eggs in areas near prey. It overwinters as an adult, gathering in groups in crevices and under peeling bark on pine trees, and also on the cones and among the needles on branch tips. Though widespread across Britain, it appears to be quite local and only occasionally seen – presumably because you'd normally need to climb to the top of a tree to find one!

Leaf beetle

Cow Parsley Leaf Beetle (Chrysolina oricalcia)

Earlier this week, a metallic bluish-black beetle clinging to the stem of one of the Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) plants in the garden caught my eye. Some research online and in our various insect books showed it to be a Cow Parsley Leaf Beetle (Chrysolina oricalcia). Though shaped a bit like a flea beetle (without that group's bulging "femurs"), it's far too big, measuring nearly a centimeter in length (about a half-inch). Its rounded elytra – the hard shells that cover and protect its wings – are sprinkled with rows of tiny pits. Though fairly widespread across south-eastern England, it's listed as "Nationally Scarce" and may be declining in some areas. Their scarcity certainly isn't due to a restricted food source; the insects feed on Cow Parsley and related plants, which are common and widespread across the whole of the British Isles. Adults feed on leaves and possibly pollen, while larvae munch leaves, generally feeding at dusk and dawn or during the night. The species overwinters as adults, though no-one yet knows where. Since finding the first beetle, we've discovered a number of larvae on various plants around the garden, so it looks like we'll be hosting this scarce species for a while to come!

Larva

Cleaver gall

Cecidophyes rouhollahi on Common Cleavers (Galium aparine)

While wandering around the garden the other day, I found a patch of Common Cleavers (Galium aparine) that looked rather strange. Some of the plants' upper leaves were pale and twisted, forming what looked like curly little tubes. They've been attacked by a gall mite, Cecidophyes rouhollahi. The presence of these mites causes the edges of the leaves to thicken and roll up, encasing the mites safely in the middle. Apparently, the pale leaves often go rust-coloured with time. Surprisingly, this mite was only described for science in 1999; prior to that, another closely related species was thought to occur in the UK. However, more careful studies since than have found no evidence of the other species, while C. rouhollahi has proved to be common and widespread across the islands. In places where Common Cleavers and the closely related False Cleavers are invasive non-natives (Canada, New Zealand, etc.), the mites can be used as a form of biological control as they stunt the plant's growth and keep its seeds from forming.

Galling

Germander Speedwell Gall Midge (Jaapiella veronicae)

A number of the Germander Speedwell plants in the garden wear furry little caps these days – a clear sign that they've been attacked by the Germander Speedwell Gall Midge (Jaapiella veronicae). This tiny fly lays its eggs in the terminal bud of Germander Speedwell plants, or occasionally in the terminal buds of other species of speedwell. The presence of the eggs (one or two per plant) changes the development of those terminal leaves; they grow abnormally, becoming deformed, thickened and hairy. And they safely house one or two tiny, reddish-orange midge larvae. These galls are typically the only way most of us will ever know the midges are around. The flies themselves are so small that they're easy to overlook – a mere 2-3 mm (about 1/8-inch) in length. They are bright orange and stand on relatively long, stilt-like legs though, which might help in spotting them. The midge is common throughout the UK, found anywhere that Germander Speedwell grows.

Six spots

Six-spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae)

While we sat working in the office the other day, Mike suddenly said "There's something red out there" and headed for the door. Sure enough, there was something red – a handsome Six-spot Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae), trundling around on Marjoram flowers near the sundial. This day-flying moth is the only burnet moth in the UK with six (rather than five or fewer) spots on its metallic green forewings. Those spots are a warning to potential predators that the moth is toxic; it's full of cyanide. Some of this comes from the food plants that the moth ate as a caterpillar. Preferred larval food plants, such as Common and Greater Bird's-foot Trefoils, are loaded with toxins which the caterpillars can safely metabolise for their own use. And if they can't get enough cyanide from their food sources, they can make their own! Such protection is so important to the moth's survival that males even present "nuptial gifts" of cyanide to females while mating; presumably, this helps to increase the survival rates of any resulting offspring. 

Six-spot Burnets are common and widespread across England, Wales and Ireland, but are mostly coastal in Scotland. Elsewhere, they range across much of Europe, and east into Lebanon and Syria. They flourish in grasslands (particularly those rich in flowers), and can be found from coastal cliffs and sand dunes to roadside verges, meadows and woodland clearings. Adults feed on scabious, knapweeds and thistles, all of which we have on the property; they clearly like Marjoram too. Caterpillars, when they're ready to pupate, build their cocoons high on grass stems. Hopefully our pocket meadow, with its bird's-foot trefoils and abundant grass stems for the caterpillars, plus various food plants for the adults, will prove appealing.

Herald

Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix)

Mike trotted downstairs last night to get a "spider jar" from the kitchen. But when he returned, the jar contained a moth rather than a spider – a Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix), which the field guides call "unmistakable". The burnt-looking edge to the scalloped forewing, the white crosslines and the overall pinky-purple tinge are certainly distinctive, as are those orange blotches. This is a female; a male would have feathered antennae. I'm not sure exactly what the moth is supposed to herald. In most of the UK, there is only a single generation, which lives for most of the year. Adults hibernate overwinter in some sheltered location (cave, tree trunk, outbuilding, etc.), emerging in the spring to mate. The female lays her eggs on willows, aspens and poplars, and the larvae develop from May to July. When they're ready to pupate, they build a cocoon between two leaves. Adults emerge in August and fly until November, when they go into hibernation, and the cycle starts again.

Heralds are common and widespread residents across much of the UK, though they're localised and limited primarily to the lowlands in Scotland. They range across a variety of habitats: pretty much anywhere their foodplants occur. Now that the termperatures are dropping into single digits, this is probably one of the last moths we'll see this year. It's certainly a handsome one!

Little brown jobs

Yarrow Plume Moth (Gillmeria pallidactyla)

There have been precious few insects of any sort in the garden this year. And it's not just us thinking this; naturalists from all across the UK (and Europe as well) are reporting the same. Despite this, I managed to find a new moth for the property yesterday – in the bathroom, of all places. In the "real world", this Yarrow Plume Moth (Gillmeria pallidactyla) probably would have blended right in, looking like a random bit of dried vegetation. Against the blue curtain it was sitting on, it was rather more obvious! Plume moths are a bit of a challenge to identify, but the combination of a dark band on the end of the wing, a darker band on the front edge of the forewing (an area known as the "costa"), the subtly striped body and legs that aren't banded between the spurs (which you may have to zoom in on to see) is distinctive. This is a common species across virtually the whole of the UK, found in dry or sandy areas, including grassland, hedgerows, quarries, embankments and "waste places". It flies from June to August, laying its eggs on Common Yarrow and Sneezewort (and occasionally Tansy). The larvae overwinter in the plant's roots, emerging in the spring to feed on the new shoots. We have plenty of yarrow in the garden, so this little moth may even have grown up locally. Once I'd photographed it, I turned it loose out the window, in the hopes it will find a mate. And some yarrow!

Buttoned up

Buttoned Snout (Hypena rostralis)

Typically, we don't see a lot of moths in the winter here, but occasionally, there are exceptions. Mike found this Buttoned Snout (Hypena rostralis) flying around in the kitchen the other day. (In his picture, it's sitting on the lip of the "spider jar" he used to transfer it outside.) This is a species that overwinters as an adult, typically hibernating in hollow trees, caves, unheated buildings and the like. We're not exactly sure where it started the winter, but it clearly woke up early! This species typically flies from August to early October, overwinters, then flies again from late April to mid-June. Larvae are primarily found in July, though they can be seen as early as June and as late as mid-August. As larvae, they feed only on Hop (Humulus lupulus), which we don't have anywhere in the garden. However, there is some Hop about a quarter mile away and it's widespread across the county, so the moth probably didn't have to venture far to get here as an adult. Buttoned Snouts are named for a little mark on their forewing – unfortunately not very visible here – that looks like a buttonhole. And, of course, its "snout" (in reality, small sensory mouthparts called palps) is pretty obvious! Prior to the 1940s, this was a common species across southern Britain. By the end of the century, however, a steep decline had led to it being designated "Nationally Scarce". Since then, its numbers are slowly increasing again. Now reasonably well-distributed in the southeast, it's no longer considered Nationally Scarce.

Her highness

Blue Emperor (Anax imperator)

Our pond was a hive of activity over the past month, with multiple species of damselfly and dragonfly buzzing over its surface, pairing up and egg-laying, or perching on sticks around its edges. One of our visitors was this female Blue Emperor (Anax imperator) which spent several weeks making regular forays to deposit her eggs under the Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) leaves. She's impressively large; at 7.8 cm (a little over 3 inches) long and with a wingspan of 10.5 cm (more than 4 inches), Blue Emperors are among Britain's biggest dragonflies. The species is named for the male, which is indeed primarily blue. The female, however, is gloriously green, except for that reddish-brown stripe running the length of her abdomen. They're found across much of Great Britain, with a range that's expanded considerably since the 1990s. They're still pretty rare in Scotland, where they only arrived in the early 2000s. They're primarily found on larger bodies of water, so we feel quite privileged that this female chose our little puddle.

Outdoor carpet

Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata)

For those who think that all moths are boring little brown jobs, I present proof that this is not always the case. This Common Carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) flashed up in front of me the other day as I walked the garden paths, and eventually settled back into the grass where I could photograph it. Yes, it's brown – and black and cream and grey and rust – but how about that patterning?! Gorgeous. And very good at breaking up the outline of the moth. This is a common and widespread insect across the whole of the UK, even in many of the offshore islands. It's found in a remarkable range of habitats: woodland, moorland, some grasslands, heath, fens and marshes as well as urban areas and gardens. Those of us in the south see them from May through Octocober (as many as three separate generations!) while those in the far north of Scotland typically only get them in June and July. The one broad dark band across the midwing (often with a grey component), the single sizable "point" at the back edge of that band and the thin grey line that runs through the white stripe just beyond that point all help to separate this species from a few supeficially similar ones. As with all UK moths, the adults are nectar feeders. They visit flowers primarily at night, though they often begin feeding at dusk. Common Ragwort is a favourite, and we have plenty of that, so our visitor should be happy here. The larvae feed on various species of bedstraw, including Common Cleavers – another thing we have plenty of – so any potential offspring should be provided for as well.

Waspish

Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietis)

While wandering out to the pond the other afternoon, I spotted this waspy looking insect on one of the old clothesline poles. That yellow and black pattern is certainly eye-catching! Once I'd snapped its picture, a check of the books quickly led to an ID. It's a Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietis), a common and widespread species in gardens and hedgerows across England and Wales (but rarer in Scotland) and a new one for the list. It's not just its striking pattern that makes this trickster look like a wasp; it also moves like one, waggling its long antennae and scuttling around on twitchy legs in the same jerky fashion that wasps do. That's enough to convince most potential predators to avoid it. In reality, however, this 1.6 cm-long beetle (just over a half inch) is totally harmless. It's one of the so-called "longhorn beetles". Like most other longhorns, its larvae develop in dead wood, including such things as fence posts and old gates. Adults feed on pollen, so this one was presumably finding plenty to eat at the flowers in our garden. They fly from May through July, so perhaps we'll see another one or two before they disappear for the season.

Nettle bug

Nettle Ground Bug (Heterogaster urticae)

Right now, our Common Nettle plants are liberally sprinkled with mating pairs of Nettle Ground Bugs – and according to things I've been reading whilst researching this post, they may remain linked together for days! When they're done, the female will lay her eggs in the ground near a nettle plant (usually Common Nettle, but occasionally one of its close relatives). That plant will serve as host to the developing larvae, which should reach adulthood by September. These adults will overwinter, hibernating during the coldest months and re-emerging in the spring when the temperatures rise again. The above picture is far larger than life-sized; the bug itself measures a mere 6–7 mm (about a quarter of an inch) long. The alternating light and dark patches on the sides of its abdomen help to identify it, as do its stripey legs, its all-dark antennae and the long, erect hairs on its head and pronotum (the part of the insect just behind its head). It's common and widespread in open areas of southern England and Wales (basically anywhere nettles are found), and is spreading northwards, with recent records from as far north as Scotland. We're happy for them to eat all of the nettles they want; we have far more of that than we'd like in many corners of the garden.

Leaf rolling

Rosy Leaf-curling Apple Aphid (Dysaphis devecta agg.)

These eye-catching leaves with their bright red rolled edges caught my eye when I walked past our apple tree the other day. They're evidence of the presence of the Rosy Leaf-curling Apple Aphid (Dysaphis devecta agg.), a minor pest which attacks the leaves of various apple species. There are actually three closely related aphid species which make up the Dysaphis devecta group. All look similar, but one lives only on apple trees while the other two alternate between apple and Cow Parsley or Rough Chervil. The aphids feed on the tiny veins in the leaves, and the longitudinal red galls are formed in response to substances found in the aphid's saliva. Fortunately, the aphids don't do much harm to the tree itself. Here in our garden, we have plenty of natural predators to help keep them under control, including Eurasian Blue Tits, various ladybirds, some species of hoverfly larvae, and several types of parasitic wasp. It's all part of the circle of life!

Mike's picture of the aphids themselves

Shiny invaders

Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana)

Whilst checking the herb garden during a coffee break this week, Mike chanced upon our first Rosemary Beetles (Chrysolina americana), a handful of which were trundling across sage leaves or huddled on rosemary stems. We've been expecting them, to be honest. Though they weren't recorded in Britain until the late 1990's (when they were found breeding in central London), they have now spread right across the British Isles and are common and widespread in England and Wales. Their iridescent purple and green stripes make them easy to identify despite their small size; they measure only 6–8 mm (about a third of an inch). Though they nibble on the flowers and leaves of rosemary, sages, thymes and other aromatic plants, they don't typically cause too much damage, and even the Royal Horticultural Society suggests they be considered as "part of the life a healthy garden supports". Apparently, the larvae, which generally occur in late summer, are rather more voracious than their parents (which may feed little until they're ready to mate). Adults can be reasonably long-lived for a beetle, regularly surviving more than a year. Despite their scientific name, the beetles didn't originate in the Americas. Rather, they're from southern Europe – presumably yet another indication of a changing climate.

Fruity weevil

Apple Fruit Weevil (Neocoenorrhinus aequatus)

While mooching around on this week's Bank Holiday Monday, I found this little insect resting on the tip of a Common Nettle leaf in a back corner of the garden. It's an Apple Fruit Weevil (Neocoenorrhinus aequatus), also widely known as Apple Fruit Rynchites. Despite its name, the weevil's usual host is Hawthorn, a scrubby tree that's common in hedgerows across Norfolk and much of the rest of the UK. That tree will reach its blooming peak within the next few weeks, and the weevil is ready! Its numbers peak in May and June, though it can also be found earlier in the spring. In addition to Hawthorn, it will also feast on Blackthorn (which blooms in April), apple, cherry, plum and pear trees, and sometimes proves to be a locally significant pest of organic orchards. It's quite small, measuring only 2.5 to 4.5 mm (about 1/5 of an inch), with a blackish-brown head and thorax and reddish-brown elytra (the hard cases covering the wings). The dark line marking the join between the elytra is distinctive, as are the many tiny pits and pale hairs covering them. The weevil is common throughout much of England (to about mid-Yorkshire and Durham), but rare in Wales, Scotland and the north of England. The female will lay up to 20 eggs in the blossoms and developing fruits of the Hawthorn (or other tree), and may chew through the fruitlet's stem to slow its development. The larvae develop in the fruits, emerging in the fall when the fruits fall to the ground. The larvae burrow into the ground to pupate, quickly (i.e. in a week or two) becoming adults, but remaining snug in their pupa case until the following spring. Hopefully, they'll leave at least a few of our apple blossoms unscathed, so that the Blackbirds will have something to eat come autumn.

Stripey fly

Xanthogramma pedissequum

The generally chilly weather we've had this spring seems to have put a bit of a damper on insect numbers in the garden, but I found this unfamiliar hoverfly warming itself on a south-facing leaf yesterday. It's Xanthogramma pedissequum, and it's new for the garden. The yellow striping along the edges of the thorax (the fly's "shoulders", if you will) is distinctive, as are the triangular yellow spots on near the fly's "waist" (tergite #2, if you're being specific) and the dark leading edge to the wings. This handsome insect is most common in the summer (particularly in June), but can be seen as early as March and as late as the end of September. It's a widespread southern species, common south of a line between the Wash and southern Wales, with scattered records as far north as central Scotland. Though primarily a grassland resident, it is sometimes found along paths in more wooded areas. Much of its life history is little known, but its larvae are thought to live in the nests of black or yellow ants. It typically flies close to the ground and feeds on low-growing flowers, but is most often seen, as this one was, perched on foliage somewhere. It's the first new insect of 2022!

Ivy bee

Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

Few bees in the UK are cuter than the diminutive Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae), which is coming into its own as autumn progresses. As its name suggests, this specialist feeds primarily on the pollen of Common Ivy (Hedera helix), which flowers from September to November. However, it will also visit Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris, as above), Prickly Sow-thistle (Sonchus asper) and other autumn-flowering blooms for nectar. A new arrival to the islands, it was first recorded in the UK in 2001. In fact, it was only described to science in 1993! Now, it occurs across the Channel Islands and much of southern England and Wales, primarily in built-up areas and along the coast, and continues to extend its range northwards. A newly-emerged female's combination of strongly buff-banded abdomen and orange thorax is distinctive, but males and faded individuals can be trickier to identify. Like other mining bees, this one nests underground, typically digging into lightly vegetated, south-facing banks. Though it's a solitary species, it can occur in large nest aggregations where proper conditions exist; there's an area on a sandy heath near here with upwards of a thousand individuals! We have regular visitors to our garden despite a lack of suitable nest sites, so there must be a good nesting location nearby. Creating a "bee bank" in the garden is definitely on the to do list!