Wildlife summer 2012

[Brian Ellis]

The challenge then would be to build an alpine garden mimicking a coral reef, interesting thought Lesley.

[daveyp1970]

Superb Davey.  Not the easiest moth to net for egg laying, never mind photograph! A very easy species to breed at home though ( like many of the Sphingidae ), and I would urge anyone who has the least interest in the Lepidoptera to have a go with this species. The feeling upon release of the imagines is one of the best  . Usually we get plenty here on the East Coast, so far this year ....none

Ron can i ask what food plant would i use if i can find a female?Can you also give me pointers about cage ect..i could easily search through google but you can't beat first hand experience.

[mark smyth]

what moth was caught?

[ronm]

Any of the Galium sp. are good larval foodplants Davey. Probably the easiest to get hold of is Galium aparine ( Cleavers ), but this is not the best of the genus to use as the larvae grow more slowly on this for some reason. It is still fine to use though.
I find the best way is to put the female in a small black net cage with some of the Galium. Keep in a cool spot to avoid her using up energy wastefully. If shes gravid she will lay on the plant or on the netting of the cage. I only ever keep a female in the cage for one day then release again, if she has laid or not, as these moths need to feed regularly on energy rich nectar. Please don't be tempted to keep for longer in the hope of eggs, as a) she may not have mated yet, and b) you may have a male! Its hard to tell the difference, . After one day further the eggs will have hardened off and can be removed from the material / plant. Keep in a small plastic box ( avoiding condensation at all costs ) until hatching ( a few days ). Transfer larvae to growing foodplant in fine net cage ( watch out for spiders!!), or cut plant in airtight plastic box. If using box plant needs to be changed at least daily and box cleaned meticulously. When you get to this stage ... ask again 
If you're going to have a go, start growing some Galium now. Note these guys eat amazing amounts! I'll bring you some cages next week.
This works well for all of the Sphingidae, although different foodplants are of course required. Success rate should be 80% +, obviously much much higher than in nature ( 2% ?).

[daveyp1970]

Thank you sooo much and i am 100% going to have ago,at least one of the hawk moths if i can't find a gravid hummingbird.I will start scanning willowherb ect.

[ronm]

Thats great Davey,  . Also check out Poplar, Lime, Willows and Privet. All great plants for Hawkmoths.

A small amount of sunshine here today, but enough to get our garden population ( usually around 100+ adults ) of the Ringlet butterfly, Aphantopus hyperanthus, onto the wing and doing what needs to be done to maintain the species,  . These two were courting when I rudely interrupted.

[johnw]

I'm sure you've often thought, as I have that all that stunning corals and under sea things, could well be alpine plants. OK, not the fish, they're a bonus, but the colours and shapes and beautiful construction of almost all, could be vegetable sheep, androsaces, saxifragas and hundreds of other above ground plants, if it were not for the sea.

My very thought too Lesley.   Now I'm envious of those that can grow sheets of Lithops, Conophytums, Frithias, Oophytums and Fenestrarias outdoors in their "coral gardens".  Ironic that no water would be required.

johnw

[ronm]

Lestes sponsa

Seemingly unaffected by, in fact thriving in spite of,  the weather so far this year, our colony of The Emerald Damselfly, Lestes sponsa, has positively boomed this year. From perhaps 30 - 50 in previous years, I have estimated an adult population of 200+ today in the 'wild garden area'. This species suffers greatly in the larval stages from predation by fish. It is adapted to the dykes, ditches and ponds drying out in summer however. Obviously this kills off the fish. Our pond has been almost dry the last two years and the Herons took all of the wild Roach and Rudd ( Fantastic  ). Obviously to the benefit of this beautiful Damselfly.
When newly emerged both sexes look very similar. A metallic Emerald colour on all segments, which appears a bright shining Bronze when the light catches the body at different angles. As the male matures though a few of its body segments take on a blue pruinescence, or bloom, which can lead the casual observer to thinking its a completely different species. .
A flighty species, its a real pain to stalk and photograph, 

[Hoy]

Beautiful pictures Hoy.

The Crab Spiders are so easily missed, they're very sneaky!

Also something very weird has taken place here I think. Seems to me that Gullbasse 2012-07-10 is Protaetia ( Eupotosia ) affinis var. pyrochroa, and Bille 2012-07-10 would seem to be a sp. of Pyrochroa, although I am unfamilar with which species. !! Very  . Did you realise this when you posted, and were teasing us?

Thanks ronm
 
Regarding "gullbasse", we have 3 species in Norway: Cetonia aurata, Potosia cuprea, Liocola marmorata; but I don't know which one this is.

Regarding the other "bille" (means beetle), we have 2 species of "Kardinalbille" here: Pyrochroa coccinea and Schizotus pectinicornis. Don't know which one it is

[ronm]

Seems I'm wrong on the Eupotosia, .....how strange .

Still not convinced on the Pyrochroa either, but if only P.coccinea is recorded in Norway, what do I know? Certainly not S. pectinicornis though .

Love to see more of the insects of Norway Hoy if you can manage it,

[ronm]

I can not tell you how happy i am,i managed to photograph a Hummingbird Hawk Moth,it's the first time i have EVER seen this moth and wow,what an incredible thing it is.

These two hawkmoths are as ( more? ) endearing. 

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1982
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1983

[mark smyth]

sometimes predators make me so angry ....

[Anthony Darby]

The challenge then would be to build an alpine garden mimicking a coral reef, interesting thought Lesley.

Not a thought that crossed my mind when snorkelling off Low Isles near Port Douglas last week.

[daveyp1970]

These two hawkmoths are as ( more? ) endearing. 

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1982
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1983

Ron they are right at the top of must see list,them and the deaths head.iI think i have most of the others.

[TC]

Mark
The same thing has happened locally.  A large Sand Martin colony has been almost wiped out.  The culprit is a Buzzard.  He sits just above the entrance and picks them off when they come back,