We made the first Butterfly Conservation monitoring visit to Pembrey Forest yesterday, and were rewarded with a remarkable (for Wales in May) 16 species of butterfly. The highlights among these were Green Hairstreak (just a couple), Dingy Skipper (good numbers), Small Blue (several - quite early), Small Copper (a singleton) and, undoubtedly, a female Marsh Fritillary (the first reported in Wales this year, as far as I know).
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| Marsh Fritillary by Gareth Tonks |
Day-flying moths included Cinnabar (in good numbers), Burnet Companion and Common Heath. Continuing the recent non-Lepidoptera theme on the blog, here are a few pics of other insects seen on the day.
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| The click beetle Agrypnus murinus |
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| Red Poplar Leaf-beetle Chrysomela populi - also feeds on willows (as at Pembrey, where it is abundant). |
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| Tortoise Shieldbug Eurygaster testudinaria |
Lovely photos...Pembrey is extraordinarily rich for its invertebrate communities.
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