Explore the diverse flora and fauna on the Downs from season to season through personal observations and photographs

Wednesday, 4 Jun 2025

Several Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) calling this morning but still no clear sighting.

It was a very good day for insects with lots of new additions –

Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius), Yellow-lined Plant Bug (Deraeocoris flavilinea), Small Green Pot Beetle (Cryptocephalus hypochaeridis), Meadow Tortrix moth (Grapholita compositella), Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipes?), Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) and Tapered Drone Fly (Eristalis pertinax) as well as a Common Mesh Weaver spider (Dictyna arundinacea). After last week’s first ever sighting of this species I added another Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) too. Also seen was the discarded exuvium (the shed exoskeleton) of a leafhopper nymph. As it was found on a hazel leaf this could point to Oncopsis avellanae.

One particular horse chestnut tree is showing an advanced stage of leaf mining by larvae of the Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner moth (Cameraria ohridella) on many of its leaves.

 

There were two new flowers to be seen, Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria) and another yellow composite, Rough Hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus).

 

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