Chasing the Chasers and Other Insects

Wednesday, May 31st 2023

I have complained before that cold weather makes the invertebrates hide away and warm sunny weather makes them very active! Never satisfied!! This was the case on Monday, the chasers were flying, this way, that way and everywhich way. It was even hard to attempt to identify them. One was a Broad-bodied Chaser, male, as a flash of blue was seen. Eventually one decided to rest for a couple of seconds on a plant stem and a photograph was able to be taken, mainly for identification purposes as it did not show much of itself. It was a Four-spotted Chaser.

The chase will go on until one sits just right!

A flash of brilliant copper caught my eye. A Small Copper butterfly sat beautifully firstly on some grass and then on the mud, sunbathing. I think that these are both males, or the same male just moving around!

These butterflies do not like cool wet summers. The caterpillars feed on Common and Sheep's Sorrel.

Another butterfly on the wing was the Speckled Wood, again sunbathing on bare earth. Numbers of this species tend to increase following wet summers but fall after drought years. Often they are found in sunny glades, where males will defend their 'patch'. the caterpillars feed on grass, mainly Cock's-foot, Yorkshire Fog and False Broome are preferred.

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