Cross Hands today

A visit to BC's Median Farm and Caeau Ffos Fach reserve today, to do some housekeeping tasks (checking on contractor work; trying but failing to identify the location of a water leak), also gave me the chance to have a poke around for insect life. Things started well as I almost trod on a specimen of Elachista rufocinerea as I got out of the car.

 

I found three late instar Marsh Fritillary larvae in the top field at Caeau Ffos Fach, so it may be a little while before the adults are flying at the site.

It was heartening to see large numbers of Green-veined Whites, along with a few Orange-tips, flitting around the cuckooflowers - especially given how few butterflies were around in the spring of 2016. I also found a Pale Brindled Beauty larva on birch.

Afterwards I stopped briefly to check the Devil's-bit Scabious at a graveyard in nearby Cwmgwili, and found a nice plump Marsh Fritillary larva - a new site I think. A Heliozela was flying around a hedgerow oak - it was hyperactive and these were the best photos I could manage!

There was no birch or alder nearby so I think it's safe to record this one as H. sericiella.