Holly Blues and Harley Davidsons

The August Bank Holiday in Baildon brings both Holly Blues and Harley Davidson motorbikes.
I've also just seen a Large White butterfly that seemed to be the size of a dinner plate!

Masked Mugwort Muncher

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) can be found in unmanaged grassland and its distinctive flower-spikes are easily seen on road verges. Yesterday, whilst driving along the M62, I noticed that Mugwort grows alongside the motorway almost to the highest point at Junction 22.
This "masked" caterpillar was found on Mugwort growing at Apperley Bridge VC64 on 23rd July 2010.
It grew quickly over the next couple of weeks before pupating and emerging as a Silver Y moth (Autographa gamma) on 21st August.

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I arrived back from the annual holiday in France last weekend. This moth with the spectacular antennae emerged from a caterpillar that I found wandering across the supermarket car-park at Mondeville2 in Normandy.

Don't panic! The moth was released in France. I wouldn't want to import trouble. Having said that the French are not averse to gypsies leaving France.

Whilst on holiday, my Rosebay Willowherb beetle larvae pupated and then emerged as adults. The appear to be Flea Beetles of the genus Altica and could be either lythri, palustris or oleracea. Apparently these three species are difficult to tell apart.

I kept having to "rescue" Cinnabar moth larvae in the garden of the rural gite where we stayed. These were devouring their Ragwort foodplants and then wandering-off across the gravel drive in search of more food.