Hi all
A little challange for you all and one that Charly should have no disagreements with as the plant is dead easy to ID :-))
Personally I like to pick out a plant and observe it during a whole year to see what I can find entomological wise visiting or breeding on it. One plant I always wanted to get around to and for one reason and another never did in Calderdale was Thistles. It has a huge possible list of lepidoptera and plenty of other insects that utilise it.
On the old Lowfields site before it was developed were nice areas of thistle. I regularly found 1458 Thistle Ermine (Myelois circumvoluta) sitting on the plants at dusk and truly spectacular it is as can be seen in the photo which I "borrowed" from my mate Ian Kimbers website. I only found Thistle Ermine and the cases of Coleophora peribenanderi on Thistles so there is a huge range of species and ecology you can discover over the coming year on a easily found and recognised plant. Its also a great opportunity to record many firsts for Calderdale both as species and confirmed breeding when larvae are found.
A quick look on Ians website gives a list of 32 species that can be found on Thistles. So Charly when you have rested some more I am looking forward to seeing some more of your superb photos of the various things found on Thistles. Link to Ians site with list of species
2 comments:
Well, I'll be, I never knew that you could search Ian's site for plants and other non mothy type things!! You live and learn.
Hi Charly
Wait until you see what Ian, Ben and I have been working on for his search engine !
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