Sunday 17 July 2022

My Local Insectageddon?

My locality has masses of nettles (food for lavae of the Peacock, Red admiral and Small tortoiseshell butterflies) and Rosebay willowherb (ditto for the Elephant hawk moth). It also has a profusion of alien Butterfly bush to recharge hungry adults. I have done my 2022 Big Butterfly Count and regularly put moth traps out in my garden. My Count revealed no Peacocks, Red admirals and Small tortoiseshells. Indeed, these butterflies have been rarely glimpsed in the vicinity this year (the Butterfly bushes have been unvisited). There have also been no larvae on the nettles. Not a single Elephant hawk has appeared in a moth trap. It's not looking good or is it just me?

No comments:

Jumping Into the Limelight?

Jumping spiders don't make webs. As their name suggests, they leap on their prey. A current total of 17 non-native jumping spiders, hav...