(Excerpt) The Scotch Argus is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of roughly 44 to 52 mm. Both sexes are predominantly dark chocolate-brown and their upperwings carry a distinctive band of bright orange-brown containing a row of black eyespots, each typically centred with a small white pupil. In flight the butterfly appears almost black, flashing its orange bands as it moves.
Tag Archives: #Ecology
The Shaded Broad-bar Moth
Biology, Ecology, etc of the Shaded Broad-bar Moth (Scotopteryx chenopodiata) The Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata), a member of the Geometridae family (often called geometer moths or ‘inchworms’ in their larval stage), is a distinctive and relatively common moth across much of the British Isles. First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, it is a classicContinue reading “The Shaded Broad-bar Moth”
The Painted Lady, Master of Migration
The Painted Lady belongs to the Nymphalidae family (brush-footed butterflies) and is a medium-sized species with a wingspan of approximately 50 to 56mm. Its upper wings are vibrant orange with black tips and white spots, while the underwings feature a more muted, mottled pattern that provides camouflage when resting.
Borage, the Starflower
A fast-growing annual that typically reaches 30 to 60 cm (sometimes up to 1 metre) in height Borage’s stems and leaves are covered in stiff, white hairs that can feel prickly to the touch, a trait shared with many members of the borage family, including Comfrey. The leaves are large, oval to lance-shaped, with a wrinkled texture and a distinctive fresh, cucumber-like scent when crushed.
Yellow Flag Iris
Like many wetland plants, I. pseudacorus plays an important role in its ecosystem. Its dense clumps provide cover and nesting sites for birds such as Moorhen and Reed Warbler, while the rhizomes help stabilise banks and prevent erosion. The flowers are visited by a range of pollinators, particularly larger bees (including Bumblebees) that are strong enough to push open the petals to reach the nectar and pollen.
Shining Cranesbill
Shining Cranesbill (Geranium lucidum), sometimes known as ‘gentleman’s buttons’, is a charming, glossy-leaved annual wildflower that brightens walls, banks, and rocky spots throughout the British isles.
It gets its common-name from its distinctive shiny, reflective leaves, which set it apart from relatives like Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum). The leaves are rounded or kidney-shaped, divided into 5 to 7 lobes cut about halfway, often with a glossy green surface that can flush red. Stems are brittle, fleshy, hairless, and frequently reddish, growing up to 35 to 40 cm tall (though often shorter and sprawling).
Nicrophorus, the Death Carrier
Sexton beetles, also known as burying beetles, are nature’s undertakers and very good at their job.
They belong to the genus Nicrophorus within the family Silphidae (carrion beetles) and play a vital ecological role by locating, burying, and recycling small animal carcasses, thereby reducing the spread of disease and returning nutrients back to the soil.
Ragged Robin
Ragged Robin (Silene flos-cuculi, formerly Lychnis flos-cuculi) is a plant of many names, these include: Cuckoo Flower (because it flowers as the Cuckoo arrives,) Thunder flower (in some parts of Yorkshire picking it will bring thunderstorms) Shaggy Jacks, and Marsh Gillyflower.
Northwest Nature and History 