Summer life in lavender
Summer is a time when butterflies appear across England and are a small burst of colour even in the middle of the city. This year I have had a busy patch of lavender. Nothing much, just the edge of the driveway, but it has been attracting butterflies from the beginning of the flowering season until the start of the autumn storms.
I don’t remember seeing this variety in butterfly species in previous years. Maybe the hot weather encouraged them when it mattered or maybe I have been out looking for them a little more than usual. However, this warm weather may have an impact next year, drying out plants and removing the protection for eggs and food for caterpillars. Only time will tell.
A little wildlife project to photograph the visitors through the season emerged from nowhere. This proves that there is wildlife and a mini-project wherever you may be, you just have to find it.
Common Blue
Blue butterflies are my favourite. The glimpse of iridescence as they dance off to find another spot to rest is a special moment.
The common blue butterfly is found widely across the UK, liking sheltered sunny spots, exactly the environment in my country garden. However, they rarely visit and are a very welcome visitor when they are passing by. I love their Latin name, Polyommatus icarus, something to do with their love of flying in the sun maybe!
Basking and feeding in the sunshine common blue butterfly’s speckled underwings hide the sparkling blue that glows in the late morning sunshine.
Damselfly Eyes
Damselflies are delicate versions of the dragonfly. This beautiful damselfly was perched basking in the morning sun waiting to warm up after a heavy dew.
As I moved to try and capture the body and wings, slowly almost without me noticing the damselfly would edge around the stem of the lavender away from me. All I ever managed to see were its stunning eyes.
Peacock
The peacock butterfly (Aglais io) takes after its namesake with eyespots and a hidden beauty that emerges as its wings unfurl. A boring leaf-like appearance at first but slowly the colours emerge as it opens its wings. Its hidden beauty is a lovely summer surprise.
A true nomad, this butterfly with a strong wing is able to travel throughout the countryside taking advantage of the summer flowers although the autumn buddleia will always be its perfect resting place.
Meadow Brown
Found loitering in the hedgerows around gates the meadow brown butterfly (Maniola jurtina) is brown and orange. But brown and orange can be beautiful and this brown and orange certainly is.
With a black spot on its underwing as it opens this becomes an integral part of its colouring, a brown spot surrounded by beautiful orange.
Large White
The large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) is one of three white butterflies that enjoy lavender during the summer months.
The large white can be identified with its much more pronounced black wing tips and is often called the cabbage white butterfly because of the love of brassica plants that are seen by the caterpillars.
Common Darter
Sunday morning and I look out of the kitchen as I get breakfast organised.
There on the patio is my annual visitor. She only visits once a year, popping by just to say “Summer is here” and is then gone again.
The Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) lives up to its name – extremely common and darting everywhere.
The common darter is part of the dragonfly and damselfly family but is quite happy living a fair distance from water. We have a brook at the end of the garden so I suspect she is happy to travel the short distance to bask and hunt.
Red Admiral
Just as the lavender is finishing the red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) appears. It is one of the larger UK butterflies and also one of the most widely spread. It can be found as far north as Orkney and Shetland.
This butterfly will migrate north in the summer months and while it is common some years there are more to find than in other years.
Brown Argus
The brown argus butterfly (Aricia agestis) is a small butterfly (just 3cm at its largest) that lives on chalk and limestone grasslands so I am not entirely sure how it found its way to a village garden!
It is similar in appearance to the common blue butterfly when its wings are closed but as they open the difference becomes obvious.
Hummingbird Hawk-Moth
The hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is a day-flying moth that visits the UK each summer from southern Europe.
Their numbers vary from year to year but are widespread across the UK.
They are incredibly fluffy and hover over flowers as they feed with their wings seeming to vibrate.
Small Tortoiseshell
There are so many places to visit that it is sometimes hard to know where to settle.
Just when the lavender was fading there was a final visitor. Absent until the end of the summer sunshine it was now battling the rain and gales to feed. The small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae) had remained hidden through the beautiful warm weather.
A common visitor usually, maybe the dry weather in May and June or my final control over the stinging nettles had meant it wasn’t until now that the butterflies were emerging.
Comma Butterfly
How can such a small mark on the outer wing of this butterfly give it its name?
The comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) looks like a ragged and tatty tortoiseshell from the outside but as it opens its wings the truth is exposed. With bright orange and black speckles, the camouflage of its exterior becomes a distant memory.
Once in decline, this butterfly is making a comeback. I feel I am helping in keeping my garden nettles in tip-top comma caterpillar condition.
Speckled Bush-Cricket
The speckled bush cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) is common in the UK and is often found just sitting motionless in bushes – in this case, lavender. they feed on the leaves and flowers of a range of plants.
The green is absolutely stunning in the sunshine and the insect feels as if it is glowing.
Green-Veined White
The green-veined white (Pieris napi) is a small butterfly that is common across the UK. It is sometimes confused with the small white but the dark vein-like markings on the underwing will help with identification.
They prefer damp areas but can often be found in gardens. Since 1975 the number of these butterflies has increased by 5%.
Bumble Bee
The white-tailed bumble bee (Bombus lucorum) is one of the main seven bumble bees in the UK.
They are really hard to identify especially when you don’t have the queen to make the final identification.
While reading about these bees mention of DNA for confirmed ID is best – what hope do I have!
Small White
Along with the large white butterfly, the small white (Pieris rapae) is clumped under the title of cabbage white butterfly.
These small busy butterflies are the curse of cabbage and other brassica growers as their caterpillars will destroy a plant within a day.
These are one of the earliest butterflies to appear, sometimes in April, long before the lavender is in flower.
Honey Bee
The bees really are busy bees when there is lavender on offer. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) makes honey from pollen and nectar collected from flowers.
They live in large colonies with one queen, many sterile female workers and some male drones. The hive is a living community where all inhabitants work with the goal of continuing the hive into the future.
Painted Lady
The Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui), is a migratory species that grace the UK with its presence during the summer months. These beautiful butterflies, with a wingspan of about 6 to 9 centimetres, showcase vibrant orange, black, and white patterns. They are known for their long-distance journeys, as they travel from as far as North Africa to reach the British Isles.
Proboscis Speed
The tiny common blue butterfly sits on the lavender, supping the nectar in the summer sun. But the question “How fast does a butterfly move its proboscis?” was rumbling around my head!
Using its proboscis as a natural drinking straw the butterflies feed on the nectar buried deep in the flowers. Uncurling their tongues when feeding it is recoiled and tucked away before moving on to the next flower.
The photographs were taken at 1/80th of a second and the moving proboscis can be seen as a whispy black movement. Think that means it uncurls very quickly!
Elephant Hawk-moth Caterpillar
This huge caterpillar is often the one people find and wonder what on earth it is. It looks like a giant meaty slug with eyes! It is in fact the caterpillar of the Elephant hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) which is a stunning red and gold moth.
The caterpillars start life as bright green caterpillars, turning brown as they mature, however, just to confuse things a few stay green as they age.
Courtship
During courtship, male small white butterflies engage in an elegant aerial dance, fluttering and gliding in pursuit of females.
Upon mating, the male and female join the tips of their abdomens, allowing the male to transfer sperm to the female for fertilization. Subsequently, the female lays her eggs on plants or on the ground to continue the butterfly’s life cycle.
This male had been dancing around the female for a while. She was waiting patiently on the lavender spike for the right moment.
Smiley Face
I just love my visiting darter so much. Not much to say other than how much I love her face when she visits!
End of Life
While the lavender is buzzing with life, there is a darker side to this small world.
This crab spider (Misumena vatia) managed to capture a pollen-laden bumble bee in its web. Over a period of a few hours, it was able to wrap it up safely for a future meal.
