27-June London’s Fluttering Jewels: Butterflies & Moths of June

The male small white has only one small spot and the male large white has no spot at all. Green veined whites are very similar to small whites and also easily confused with female orange-tips. If it is possible to see the undersides of their wings, the green-veined white has noticeable black scales along the veins, causing them to stand out.

Small whites have no such prominent veining and female orange-tips have a hind wing which is covered in moss-green mottling. If ever there is a possibility of examining a stationary male green-veined white it is well worth attempting to smell him, as he has a scent of lemon verbena.

Rather less common, but also flying the whole month, are the green hairstreak, dingy skipper, small blue, common blue, wall, brown argus and small heath. The small blue is dependant on kidney vetch for its survival and, as the plant gets rarer, so does the butterfly. Unfortunately, the adults seem unwilling to fly very far to look for new plants on which to lay their eggs.

Wall butterflies are large, with shiny orange-coloured wings, covered with dark, chequered markings. They are usually first noticed whilst basking with outspread wings on warm rocks. If two are seen, the darker one is likely to be the male. Common blues can still be seen as centrally as Morden Cemetery. Their females can usually be separated as they are more brown in colour than the mauve-coloured males. If this is not enough, they also posses a row of black and orange spots along the edges of their wings, which is not present in the males.

Brown arguses can be seen on Headley Heath. They are totally brown with no hint of the blue that can be detected in female common blues. It is the bold orange edge to their wings that usually confirms their identification. Small heaths can still be found on Headley Warren. These are a paler brown and usually seen in long grass. When they land they usually show a tiny eye spot at the tip of their wings, which is there to deter predators. Many small heaths are seen with missing or tattered wing tips, as birds tend to peck these eye spots out.

Any small coppers or peacocks are likely to be seen at the beginning of the month and any skippers, meadow browns or commas are more likely towards the end. Rarities such as the Adonis blue, although they fly for the whole month, are now most unlikely to be encountered.

Denbies Landbarn is one place to look and Oaken Wood may be worth visiting for the possibility of a pearl-bordered or silver-washed fritillary. Chapel Down is also worth visiting for the chance of a dark green fritillary, especially towards the end of the month. Small tortoiseshells, which used to be so common a few years ago, are now rarely seen.

Moths

The moth seen most this month is likely to be the heart and dart Agrotis exclamationis. It is often the first moth to enter a moth trap and is undeterred by cold weather. Another contender for the most abundant moth is the large yellow underwing Noctua pronuba. It is the sudden flash of orange-yellow on its hind wings when it is disturbed that gets it noticed. It then flies off both swiftly and erratically. Like so many other moths this month, it exists in a number of different forms and its numbers may be increased by immigrants. Two other species common and widespread are the marbled white spot Protodeltote pygarga and the green carpet Colostygia pectinataria. The former is likely to be encountered on woodland paths, but the latter can be found almost anywhere.

The green carpet has typical soldier camouflage markings. Where there are lots of conifers, the grey pine carpet Thera obeliscata may also be seen.

Regular visitors to moth traps include the clouded border Lomaspilis marginata and the light emerald Campaea margaritata. The clouded border is one of the most beautiful moths of the month; it has white wings with rounded smoky-black edges and black dots. Scarcely two individuals have quite the same markings. The light emerald is equally as striking. It is the palest of all greens with intensely black eyes.

Unfortunately, it is so pale it quickly fades to white a few days after its emergence. Other species are confined to particular habitats or even certain sections of the city e.g. the small seraphim Lobophora halterata seems restricted to south-west London.

Hawk moths always provide excitement due to their size, colour and the dramatic speed at which they fly. The elephant hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor occasionally visits gardens this month to feed on honeysuckle. It is unmistakable due to its pink and olive green markings. These colours are close to two of its favourite food plants: fuchsias and rosebay willowherb. Where there are stands of rosebay willowherb on waste land and burnt sites, this is another place to look for it. Fifty years ago the privet hawkmoth Sphinx ligustri was common, but is now rare. It is a large, impressive moth that is often confused with the famous death’s head hawkmoth Acherontia atropos. Clearwings are often described as fairy-like as they tend to hover over flowers with their narrow, transparent wings, which have strong black veins. Their bodies also have brightly coloured belts e.g. yellow, orange or bright red. Three species can now be seen, all of which are rare i.e. red-tipped Syunanthedon formicaeformis, the six-belted Bembecia scopigera and the orange-tailed S. andrenaeformis.

It is the currant clearwing S. tipuliformis which is most likely to be seen, particularly in allotments, where it feeds on blackcurrants. It has the typical bulbous end to its abdomen, as other clearwings do, but also has three clear, bright yellow belts and yellowish tips to its wings.

Another group of moths starting to be noticed are the pugs. These are generally small, delicate, grey and brown and consequently difficult to identify. There are over fifty in Britain with most recorded in London at one time or another. In many pugs the edge of their forewings forms a straight line or a shallow curve. What makes them stand out is the complex and beautiful patterns on their wings, usually with many clear lines and waves.

When resting, they keep their wings outstretched and often slightly raise their abdomen. Those most commonly encountered are the common pug Eupthecia vulgata, grey pug E. subfuscata, lime-speck pug E. centaureata, green pug Chloroclystis rectangulata and brindled pug E. abbreviata. The last species tends to be seen only in the first week of June, when it is at the end of its flight season. Other pugs such as the foxglove pug E. pulchellata and larch pug E. lariciata, current pug E. assimilata and sloe pug Chloroclystis chlorata all tend to be found where there is a lot of the food plant their name indicates. The foxglove pug enjoys all the different foxgloves to be found in London gardens. Other pugs that are widespread but more local in their distribution include the slender pug E. tenuiata, mottled E. exiguata, Freyer’s E. intricate, dwarf E. tantillaria, white-spotted E. tripunctaria, narrow-winged E. nanata, Haworth’s E. haworthiata, shaded E. subumbrata and netted E. venosata. The last species is only found on the chalk in South London.

Waves, which are also starting to appear, are generally more variable in colour than pugs. They often have many distinct bands as well as wavy lines across their wings and they tend to be lighter in colour and often have distinctive dots. Some even have the straight biplane leading edge typical of pugs. The most commonly seen are the small fan-footed wave Idaea biselata, rib and I. aversata, dwarf cream I. fuscovenosa, common Cabera exanthemata, common white C. pusaria, single-dotted I. dimidiata and small dusty I. seriata. The small fan-footed wave, common and common white wave are probably the most likely to be seen. They are found everywhere, except perhaps the very centre of London. The small dusty wave is often caught in moth traps, the cream wave prefers woodland and the satin wave chalky areas.

Swift moths are often recognised by their habit of holding their wings nearly vertical when they come to rest. They also tend to have thoraxes that are very hairy. Two widespread and common ones this month are the common swift Hepialus lupulinus and ghost moth H. humuli ssp. humuli. The males of the latter are sometimes seen hovering over grass at dusk. The gold swift H. hecta has a more local distribution, preferring certain London woodlands above others. Its caterpillars have the rare distinction of feeding on bracken, which so few other creatures ever seem to attempt.

Footmen always catch our attention due to their long, narrow shape and khaki overcoat colour. The common footman Eilema lurideola is the most likely to be seen. The rosy footman Miltochrista miniata, which is the most striking, prefers woodland and the orange footman Eilema sorocula might possibly still be flying in Epping Forest.