Review of 2019 and 2020 - Butterflies: Admirals, Fritillaries and allies

ADMIRALS, FRITILLARIES and allies (NYMPHALIDAE)


White Admiral Limenitis camilla - Seen at Foxley Wood on 10th and 11th July 2020.

White Admiral, Foxley Wood, 10th July 2020

White Admiral, Foxley Wood, 11th July 2020

Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia - An extremely worn individual at Swanton Novers on 15th August 2019, apparently f. valezina, and then at least 15 at Foxley Wood on 17th August, the majority pretty well worn too (and including sevearl apparent valezina).  Some much nicer specimens at Foxley Wood earlier in the season in 2020, on 10th-11th July, and one at Thompson Common on 7th August 2020.

Silver-washed Fritillary, Swanton Novers, 15th August 2019

Silver-washed Fritillaries, Foxley Wood, 17th August 2019

Silver-washed Fritillaries, Foxley Wood, 10th July 2020

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Clossiana selene - A total of 10 seen over 3 sites on Mull on 10th and 12th June 2019.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, between Carsaig and Rubha Dubh, 10th June 2019

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, west of Tiroran, 10th June 2019

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, Glengorm, 12th June 2019

Purple Emperor Apatura iris - With several recorded locally I made a couple of attempts to see one in 2019 but neither were successful.  It took me a couple of attempts in 2020 but in the end I got good views of at least 2 individuals, 30 years to the day from when I last (and first) saw this species, at Botany Bay in Surrey.  Hopefully they will be one on my garden buddleia this year...

Purple Emperors, Foxley Wood, 11th July 2020 (the first 4 photos show one individual, the last photo a second individual that was on view at the same time as the first)

Peacock Inachis io - 2019 was a poor year with only two recorded in my garden (29th March and 7th August).  A few more at the meadows between those dates and at Foxley Wood.  2020 was better - recorded here and at the meadows on far more occasions between 23rd March and 16th August including about 60 caterpillars on nettles at the meadows on 13th June.  Also at Foxley Wood again.

Peacock, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th July 2019

Peacock, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020

Peacock caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th June 2020

Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae - My first of 2019 was at Fustyweed on 17th February, followed by one at the allotments on 24th February.  My only other spring record was at the meadows on 8th April.  Also recorded there in July, August and September, in my garden between 17th August and 13th September and at Foxley Wood.  Only seen here and at the meadows in 2020 when more in spring (between 23rd March and 24th April plus one on 27th May) but far fewer in summer (between 20th and 26th July).

Small Tortoiseshell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th July 2019

Small Tortoiseshell, Foxley Wood, 17th August 2019

Small Tortoiseshell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020

Red Admiral Vanessa atlanta - My first of 2019 was at Titchwell on 1st June, then recorded locally from 15th June with reasonable numbers at the meadows, in my garden and at a couple of other sites up until 22nd October.  A caterpillar on nettles at the meadows on 29th July.  I often don't see this species before June but in 2020 recorded from 8th May (here and at the meadows in June).  Surprisingly I didn't see any at the meadows after 20th July (they're usually commoner in the late summer/autumn) but continued to record them here in the garden until 28th October.  Also at Foxley Wood, Thompson Common and in Cornwall.

Red Admiral, North Elmham, 17th August 2019

Red Admiral caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th July 2019

Red Admiral, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th July 2020

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui - 2019 was a good year for this migrant species.  I think I may have forgotten to record one or two previous ones but judging from my records at least, one in my garden on 16th June was a new butterfly for the garden.  I ended up recording a total of 25 by the end of August including one that went into my moth trap overnight on 19th August.  At the meadows (where I only recorded one in 2018) I found a total of 31.  Also good numbers (at least 25) at Foxley Wood on 17th August.  In stark contrast, none seen at all in 2020, anywhere.

Painted Lady, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 12th August 2019

Painted Lady, North Elmham, 17th August 2019

Painted Lady in the moth trap, North Elmham, 19th August 2019

Comma Polygonia c-album - Recorded between 29th March and 30th September 2019, mostly at the meadows (max 3) but a few in my garden and a couple elsewhere locally.  In 2020 not recorded until one at Foxley Wood on 10th July but then recorded at home up until 19th September (with just a single record of 2 from the meadows).

Comma, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th March 2019

Comma, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th September 2020

Marsh Fritillary Eurodryas aurinia - 3 seen on Mull on 10th June 2019, 2 just west of where we were staying at Carsaig and one at Glenmore.  A completely new butterfly for me.

Marsh Fritillaries, near Carsaig, 10th June 2019

Next page: Browns and Skippers

More Frits and a Dark Fleabane Neb

Flounced Rustic was new for the year on Sunday 13th August, the first of many of this common and not terribly exciting species.

Flounced Rustic, North Elmham, 13th August

It was a fairly quiet night - the other moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 9 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Clouded Border, Willow Beauty, 3 Flame Shoulders, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 5 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, Burnished Brass, Spectacle and Straw Dot. A Limnephilus lunatus was the only caddis.

Next day I took my parents round Foxley Wood where Silver-washed Fritillaries were abounding.  I put down 6+ in my notes but I've got 6 different individuals among my photos and I'm pretty sure I didn't photograph anywhere near all of them.

Silver-washed Fritillaries, Foxley Wood, 14th August

Another dozen species of butterfly included Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Brimstone, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Peacock (at least 30), Painted Lady, Comma, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood.

Brimstone, Foxley Wood, 14th August

Peacock, Foxley Wood, 14th August

Painted Lady, Foxley Wood, 14th August

Comma, Foxley Wood, 14th August

There were some good moths too.  There was masses of Fleabane flowering here and I looked hard to find a gelechiid that flies in the day and can often be found on Fleabane flowers, but which I'd never seen.  This was successful - I ended up finding 2 Dark Fleabane Nebs Apodia bifractella.  Perhaps surprisingly since this is a fairly well-covered site there don't appear to be any previous records for the 10k square.

Dark Fleabane Neb Apodia bifractella, Foxley Wood, 14th August

A patch of Goldenrod had a Bordered Beauty feeding on it, a moth I don't see very often.  Other moths recorded were Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Shaded Broad-bar, 2 Common Carpets, Small Phoenix and 2 Straw Dots.

A Viburnum Beetle Pyrrhalta viburni was another insect feeding on the Fleabane and a new species for me.

Viburnum Beetle Pyrrhalta viburni, Foxley Wood, 14th August

My second ever Damsel Bug was a new species for me too, Marsh Damsel Bug Nabis limbatus.  The only Damsel Bug I had seen previosuly was one I trapped in  Cornwall in 2014 - and it proved to be a first for Britain (Nabis capsiformis) so it's high time I found one of the common species in this family! A green mirid bug proved to be Neolygus contaminatus.

Marsh Damsel Bug Nabis limbatus, Foxley Wood, 14th August

Dragonflies included several Migrant Hawkers, a Southern Hawker and a few Common Darters.  These Dark Bush-crickets were nice to see - not one I find very often.

Dark Bush-crickets, Foxley Wood, 14th August

As usual I had little success identifying fungi.  I think these are Orange Oak Boletes though Orange Birch Bolete seems to be very similar (and perhaps other species too?).  I didn't notice what species of tree they were under but there were certainly plenty of oaks in the area (and there are oak leaves visible around the mushrooms in some of the photos).  (PS: thanks to James for confirming they are likely Orange Oak Boletes).

probable Orange Oak Boletes, Foxley Wood, 14th August

I think this one may possibly be an older specimen of the same species.

possible Orange Oak Boletes, Foxley Wood, 14th August

I wondered if this one may have been a younger specimen of the same species but James thinks it's probably a Cep Boletus edulis.

probable Cep, Foxley Wood, 14th August

This one looks quite distinctive but I'm not sure.  I was leaning towards Blusher but there are one or two similar species that I wasn't entirely sure about. I'm pleased to say James agrees with me!

Blusher, Foxley Wood, 14th August

Pretty sure I've seen these before.  I wondered if they were Sulphur Tuft but I've a feeling there was another species that I have mistaken for Sulphur Tuft before and maybe I've done the same again?  Nope, James has confirmed - they are indeed Sulphur Tuft!  Thanks again James!

Sulphur Tufts, Foxley Wood, 14th August

I'm not sure what these are, though possibly one of the milkcaps?  Yes, again thanks to James for confirming definitely one of the milkcaps and possibly Oak Milkcap Lactarius quietus.

possible Oak Milkcap, Foxley Wood, 14th August

I couldn't identify the next ones but James has suggested Saffron Bolete Leccinum crocipodium for this one.

Saffron Bolete Leccinum crocipodium, Foxley Wood, 14th August

He has suggested Deer Shield Pluteus cervinus for this one...

Deer Shield Pluteus cervinus, Foxley Wood, 14th August

And this one is a mould, Fuligo septa - thanks again James!

Fuligo septa, Foxley Wood, 14th August