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Moths and butterfliesNot only humans, but also creatures find their home/environments changing and look for pastures new. Or have I missed out on the vital knowledge that the Jersey Tiger has been around on British shores for some time? No, I am not talking about dark creatures in the night attacking unsuspecting humans: what I have been spotting lately around the house is Euplagia quadripunctaria, a member of the Arctiidae, Callimorphinae family of moths! Or, at least, not being an entomologist, that is what I think it is, having consulted the web pages. The first time I noticed it, it was sitting on our house wall right by the front door (see photograph). Another time I got quite excited about a not-ever-before-seen butterfly fluttering about the garden with light brown wings. Only when it settled I realised that it was 'my' moth. The next time I spotted it, the moth fluttered straight into a huge spider's web and, of course, I rescued it. I have not seen it lately. What may its fate have been?! Have YOU seen it? |
To compensate for the loss of excitement on the moth-front, entomology has not let me down: on another balmy, sunny, late summer's day I could not believe my eyes, when a Swallowtail Papilio machaon flew across the garden. We saw many of them when we recently trekked along the spine of the French Alps and, although my butterfly book tells me that the home of the Britannicus Seitz subspecies is England, I have never seen a Swallowtail here before. Is it our warmer summers or has it been around unbeknown to me? I would like to hear from you. Rose Agnew |
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The swallowtail is Britain's largest and most exotic butterfly. It is black and creamy-yellow with red-and-blue false 'eyes'. The extensions on the hind-wings look rather like a swallow's tail, hence its common name. Apparently, these 'tails' and false 'eyes' on the hind-wing mimic the head and antennae (feelers) of the butterfly, which confuses birds as to the true head of their prey and gives the swallowtail a better chance of escaping
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Local Lizards I was surprised to spot a Common Lizard on the grassy embankment next to the platform at Honor Oak Park Railway Station. It was basking in the morning sun on a warm stone. The local Wildlife Trust confirmed that there are lizards residing along the railway line - it appears they are often found on the stray ballast around railways. They feed on insects and small snails. When faced with a predator they have the ability to self amputate their tails to escape capture. The tail will later grow back. The Common Lizard is an unusual reptile in that it gives birth to live offspring. Once the weather becomes colder they will hibernate under logs or in burrows. Joan Leary |
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Is it a bird? Is it a bat? Well a beetle actually. More specifically, the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus). Although it is supposed to be Britain's largest terrestrial (ground-living) beetle, the males begin to emerge in the late spring and can often be seen flying on sultry summer evenings an hour or two before dusk as they search for females to mate. Which is what I saw flying around in Liphook Crescent earlier this year. At between 5 and 8cm in length, they have large mandibles (jaws) that are often antler shaped, hence their common name. The male has very large mandibles; and the female's are smaller but more powerful. They require dead wood to complete their lifecycle, the eggs being laid underground by logs, or in stumps of dead trees, and the larva spend up to seven years inside slowly growing in size. The beetles are a globally threatened species, but they have been found in quite large numbers in our area. They apparently prefer to be south rather than north of the river - a sentiment shared by some of us I daresay! They are not something I would care to find in my garden, but they do have their fans. Michael, who produces this newsletter finds them fascinating... Valerie Ward |