A much better day weatherwise today, and with that two new additions to the Down’s butterfly list for the season – Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina insularis).

Other insects photographed were Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata), Dimorphic Strider (Macrophya montana) sawfly, Violet Black-legged Robberfly (Dioctria atricapilla) and Large Spearhorn (Chrysotoxum cautum) hoverfly.

Latest wildflower that caught my attention is Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) with this particular patch being favoured by Speckled Bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) nymphs.

Nature note for the day

Woundwort is one of many plants that have names ending in -wort. This comes from an Old English word ‘wyrt’, which means herb, plant or root. Not just any plant though, this was applied to plants used in herbal remedies as cures (whether real or not) for various afflictions. So it was a plant that was perceived to have a beneficial use. Contrast this with plants that had no beneficial use, usually given a name ending in -weed (e.g. bindweed, knapweed and chickweed).

More information on the origins of common English plant names can be found here.

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