There were at least 15 Red Admiral butterflies in the garden yesterday, mainly on Buddleja!
Category Archives: Butterflies and moths
Painted Lady Larva on Mallow
When I saw this larva in the garden on a cultivated Malva sylvestris (common mallow / apotekerkattost), I didn’t imagine this was a painted lady / tistelsommerfugl (Vanessa cardui), but it turns out that mallows (Malva spp.), other members of the Asteraceae and comfrey (Symphytum) can all feed the larvae!
Butterfly prefers onion to butterfly bush!
The warmth has encouraged the Buddleja (Butterfly bush / Sommerfuglbusk) into flower, but this small tortoiseshell (neslesommerfugl) still prefers Alliums!
Buddleja isn’t edible, but it is one of the best entomentals (insects love them and so do we; it would be an edi-ento-mental if it had also been edible!)
Painted lady on old man’s beard
Painted lady on old man’s beard this morning ! (Tistelsommerfugl på tysk klematis)
Comma butterfly in the garden
On burdock / borre (Arctium spp):
Green-veined white on Patrinia
Green-veined white (rapssommerfugl) on Patrinia triloba v. takeuchiana (honeysuckle family)
Dark green fritillary
A seldom guest in the garden this morning, a dark green fritillary / Aglajaperlemorvinge (Argynnis aglaja) and the Buddleja is in flower record early!
Not Arran Brown
The commonest butterfly here in July is the Arran Brown (fløyesesringvinge), but they don’t often stay still like this one resting on Sanguisorba canadensis leaves…
Despite the fact that this species has its English name after the Scottish Island Arran, it’s uncertain if it has been found in the British Isles, a case of confusion with the Scotch Argus butterfly?
Garden pebble
Garden pebble (kålpyralide) (Evergestis forficalis) found in the garden yesterday whilst weeding…only one report before in my area Trøndelag (from 1986!)…..and yet another pest of brassicas :(
Speckled Wood: new for Malvik
This rather damaged speckled wood (skogringvinge) turned up in the garden this morning….and it turns out to be the first record of this butterfly in Malvik kommune…
The third picture below shows the distribution in Norway. It’s not that unexpected that it should turn up here in Malvik as there are several reports on the other side of the fjord!
