Wildlife mid 2009

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks for the info on the black grass snake Armin - I think your suggestion is the nearest to what we saw and as you confirm it is a Swiss resident!

[Armin]

Robin,
I'm glad to have helped you.

A note reg. coluber: Hierophis viridiflavus (Gelbgrüne Zornatter) is available in the south and southwest of the Swiss too. Rarely there are single dark (black) forms without any pattern but with a white throat.
Check box in the previous link to see pictures of the ordinary form.

Added a picture from wikipedia

[Anthony Darby]

The pale collar is clearly visible in Armin's pic (in the link to the black grass snake). It would be yellow in the normal green form. Fascinating how many species have the melanic forms.

[Diane Clement]

So while we're on snakes, can anyone identify this one, taken in the Arlberg area of Western Austria last week

[Armin]

Diane,
nice Adder (Viper berus).
What was the length?

[Diane Clement]

nice Adder (Viper berus).

Thanks, Armin, yes, we did wonder if it was.  

  What was the length?   

It wasn't very long, about 25cm, here's my sister Carol photographing it.  You will see that it was in danger of getting squashed by the next vehicle, so my sister bravely moved it to the side of the road, using her trekking poles.  I stayed at a safe distance!

[Lori S.]

We get very few butterflies/moths here... very strange.    But the other day, I was thrilled to see a police car moth, Gnophaela vermiculata, which I haven't seen in years!

[Stephenb]

At the weekend I took part in a botanical survey of our local area. See here:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3959.msg104171#msg104171

I’ll post here a few insect pictures taking during the weekend. There wasn’t too much time for stalking, but here’s what turned up.

1) What are these guys taking pictures of?

2) Here it is – this Giant Wood Wasp (Urocerus gigas – I think) kept on landing on my colleagues’ boot. It repeatedly flew round and landed in the same spot.

3) The commonest butterfly at this time of year is the Arran Brown (Erebia ligea). Is it named after the Scottish Island? If so, why - anyone know?

4) Less common and found mainly near the coast is the Comma butterfly, here on a Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre).

[mark smyth]

Stephen does the wasp have a broken ovipositor?

[Ragged Robin]

We get very few butterflies/moths here... very strange.    But the other day, I was thrilled to see a police car moth, Gnophaela vermiculata, which I haven't seen in years!

Lovely shots of the police car moth, Lori, wonder why you see so few moths and butterflies?  One would think with all the flowers in the wild and tempting array in your garden it would be a very attractive place to be!

[Anthony Darby]

Stephen does the wasp ahve a broken ovipositor?

It seems that the guard that encloses the ovipositor is a bit bent?

[annew]

On our recent trip to the Burren area of Ireland, I was thrilled to see a Banded Demoiselle - I've been hoping to see one for years. We sat and watched several fluttering about for some time. At the same site were a Black-tailed Skimmer, and a beautiful fly we couldn't identify (probably a horse fly or something!). Later on at the site of a triple ring fort, we saw a Pearl-bordered Fritillary, also my first long-awaited sighting.

[Ragged Robin]

Great photos Anne - so clear - the Banded Demoiselle is so attractive, no wonder you were thrilled to spot it.  I looked up the Burren area in Ireland and will return later as it looks really interesting for flora, fauna and geology 

[Armin]

nice Adder (Viper berus).

Thanks, Armin, yes, we did wonder if it was.  

  What was the length?   

It wasn't very long, about 25cm, here's my sister Carol photographing it.  You will see that it was in danger of getting squashed by the next vehicle, so my sister bravely moved it to the side of the road, using her trekking poles.  I stayed at a safe distance!

Diane,
well done! It would be a pity if this beautiful reptile would have been squashed by a car. But this little animals still need our respect. Even the amount of poison of a young snake is less it is more poisoness compared to an adult one. Just in case somebody accidentally gets bitten. Did it start to attack when pushed by the trecking poles?

[Anthony Darby]

Anne, your pretty fly is a type of horse-fly - perhaps Chrysops caecutiens? Your butterfly is a female Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis aglaja).