Thursday 19 June 2014

Large Blue

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Large Blue at Daneway Banks Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire

Managed by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, with the kind help from some Welsh mountain ponies from Butt’s Farm (a rare breed farm in Cirencester) the reserve provides the large blue with a unique habitat and special conditions in which to breed.

The butterfly relies on another species to help it’s lifespan along the way, a red ant called Myrmica sabuleti which lays its eggs on wild thyme. Once hatched, the caterpillars feed on the thyme before dropping to the ground where the red ants mistake them for ant larvae and take them into their colonies. There the butterfly larvae feed on ant larvae until they emerge as butterflies.

There’s a very short window in which to see the large blues, but if the weather conditions stay good they might be around for about two weeks if a visit is planned to see what must be one of our rarest species.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




Thursday 12 June 2014

Common Blue

Common Blue,Aragon,Spain2014

Dung Beetle



Dung Beetle, Aragon, Spain 2014

Adonis Blue



Adonis Blue, Aragon, Spain 2014

Humming Bird Hawk Moth



Humming Bird Hawk Moth, Aragon, Spain 2014

Pearl-bordered Fritillary




Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Aragon, Spain 2014

Duke of Burgundy



Duke of Burgundy, Aragon, Spain 2014

Spanish Swallowtail



Spanish Swallowtail now designated a full species after a recent split from Scarce Swallowtail.

Aragon, Spain 2014

Wall Butterfly

Wall Butterfly
Aragon, Spain 2014