these little chaps are know as gendarme beetles (Pyrrhocoris apterus, or fire bugs), either because of their colour, or more likely in my view because they all hang around together idling in the sun. They were everywhere, and it was not at all clear what they were doing but the reference on Wiki (link) suggests that they eat lime seeds, and these colonies were close to two enormous lime trees. They are obviously very sociable.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
even more things we haven't seen locally 6
these little chaps are know as gendarme beetles (Pyrrhocoris apterus, or fire bugs), either because of their colour, or more likely in my view because they all hang around together idling in the sun. They were everywhere, and it was not at all clear what they were doing but the reference on Wiki (link) suggests that they eat lime seeds, and these colonies were close to two enormous lime trees. They are obviously very sociable.
even more things we haven't seen locally 5
A meadow fritillary, and a (?) Glanville fritillary (bottom photo). It turns out (according to my marvellous new butterfly reference book Collins Butterfly guide by Tolman and Lewington) that there are 46 species/sub species of fritillary butterflies in Europe, and they are very often hard to identify. So it could be a knapweed fritillary or a lesser spotted fritillary or ... but after a lot of counting of spots and examination of S sections we have made a decision!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
a few things we have seen locally 1
Spot doesn't usually spend much time in his garden, but this year the peonies have relished the unusual warmth and this is his all time favourite.
And even more exciting is this insignificant looking little flower. It is the first time our english walnut has flowered since it was planted on Good Friday, 1999. Reliable sources report that walnuts do not mature for 10 years or so. They self pollinate, so maybe we will be eating our own walnuts at the end of the year...just like France.
a few things we haven't seen locally 4
and this is my favourite picture, a humming bird moth (aka macroglossum stellatarum, and one can see why ) drinking nectar from red valerian. These moths do sometimes make it across the channel, sometimes in large numbers but I have never seen one locally. Time to start planting some red valerian.
a few things we haven't seen locally 3
and a bee hawk moth on a clary (wild or meadow) of some sort
The flower appears to have closed around a visiting hover fly in the bottom picture, I guess to improve pollination.
Monday, June 21, 2010
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