July 26

26th July

Wasteland in town centre.

3 x Painted Lady, 1 x Red Admiral, 30+ Small Tortoiseshell.

Cloudy and warm.

Buddleia is known as the 'butterfly plant', and with good reason. The long flower tubes require a long tongue to reach the nectar, so butterflies and moths usually find a safe supply.

Top to bottom we have: Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell.

And this is an underside shot of the Painted Lady.

The Small Tortoiseshell has clearly enjoyed the hot summer, and the second generation is being seen in record numbers.

Today saw millions of flying ants emerge from their nests. It wasn't possible to walk in certain areas because they were landing on - and biting - anything that stood still or that moved. The spider that owns the web on the left hand side will have food for weeks. The close-up shows the wing structure, and the resemblance to a wasp (which is what an ant actually is).

Another new micromoth: Argyresthia semifusca.