Mystery butterfly
HBM
Dear readers, you seem to be very good at identifying the flora and fauna of the Downs...
Any idea what this might be?
You marvellous people! It's a Magpie Moth (Abraxus grossulariata).
It is a fairly common moth and uses blackthorn as a foodplant so it is likely to be abundant on the Downs. It is worth looking out for Clouded Yellow butterflies at the moment – I saw several between Herne Bay and Reculver.
The photo of a butterfly, is in fact a moth called 'Magpie Moth' flight in July/August and enjoys brush and scrub, nice to see.
A naturalist friend thinks it is a Magpie Moth – a day flying moth. I think she is right.
Hi the mystery butterfly is a Magpie Moth, Abraxas grossulariata. I found it listed in the Readers Digest book of Butterflies and other insects of Britain. Lovely colours.
Your mystery butterfly is a moth called The Magpie, it flies from July to August and is widespread and fairly common. It apparently favours woods, hedgerows and gardens.
This is in actual fact a moth - the Magpie Moth Abraxus grossulariata According to the book description "A common and beautiful species found throughout Europe... In the British Isles it is widespread and abundant... Its favoured habitats are hedgerows waste grounds, gardens and allotments... The caterpillar is very distinctive and similar to the moth in colouration... Foodplants mainly Blackthorn, Hawthorn and Euonymus but it can also cause widespread destruction of leaves of gooseberry and currant bushes. Moths are on the wing in Summer and will fly by day"
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