Butterflies are early this year.

[Geoff F]

During this mild winter I have been seeing the occasional Red Admiral and Peacock when the sun shone. But today, my first Small Tortoiseshell appeared. Two months earlier than last year.



Although feeding on heather and staying there for several minutes it mostly adopted a 'head down' stance which just didn't look right, and I struggled to find other suitable angles.

With this shot the background was sufficiently distant to enable an image rotation without the foliage looking upside down.

[jamn4ex]

Very nice detail in the feathery hairs. Best if viewed in litebox.

[John 2]

Nice shot and nice and Sharp Geoff. I often find that the furry piece behind the head is blurred. I've come to the conclusion that it vibrates, perhaps as a cooling function in warm temperatures. Am I imagining things?

[IzzieK]

Very nice and beautiful Geoff...extraordinary.

[Brownbear]

Yes, beautiful... Extraordinarily so!

[Shadowman]

Very nice.

[Clive Kirby]

Yes - I was surprised yesterday when I saw two or three pairs flitting around the garden. I didn't get particularly close, but I'm sure they were tortoiseshells.
Clive

[deetheturk]

Great detail shot Geoff,well captured

[John 2]

Just been sitting in the sunshine and low and behold, a tortoiseshell flitted past. There also seem to be an above average number of Ladybirds around. I have a feeling that the absence of heavy frosts this last Winter means that insect life will be fairly abundant this year.

[Wavelength]

Lovely one

[bnnrcn]

Very nice

[Geoff F]

Saw my first 7 spot ladybird yesterday, John. The cold wet Spring certainly seemed to reduce the numbers of all ladybird species last year, along with many other insects which are normally common.

And today, the first Melanstoma hoverfly.

I know what is meant by the fine 'furry' area just behind the head being difficult to photograph well. Not really sure about the reason though. I tended to regard it as an exposure problem because that area is often under exposed due to bright surfaces elsewhere.

Might try to find time for some serious bug hunting over the next couple of days and see what is actually appearing early.

Had a strange experience yesterday.

Walking along a tarmac surface beside a quay edge, in the middle of the coastal town, when I saw a large black beetle. Carefully picked it up, from amongst all those passing shoes, and it appeared to be one of the Oil Beetles; probably Meloe proscarabaeus.

But these are flightless so how did it get there? They do have a rather strange life style where the larvae attach themselves to passing bees (usually Andrena species) and get transported to the bee nests where they develop.

I have found them about half a mile away on pasture land. But that is on the other side of an estuary creek. I'm sure they can't swim! Possibly there was a bee nest in one of the nearby very small gardens.

Anyway, I moved it to a safer location in one of those gardens, but not sure if it will be able to feed and find a mate there. I have always found them in grassland.

ps. Probably time to start another general insect thread where anybody can post their insect photos; this proved to be popular last year. If nobody else does it beforehand, I will start one in a couple of days.

[ClaudioG]

Hi Geoff, as usual, great image,super sharp and ontop of it all , you add all this info, i always look forward to seeing and reading your posts. I'm on holiday at the moment but i will be back in a week hopefully with a few bug images. There is a butterfly farm close to here, and i guess it will be easier to get some nice butterfly images. I've been truly unlucky with these guys back home so i need all the help i can get.