Rainfall: 41.1 mm

Temp High: 36.7^oC on 30th

Temp Low: 3.9^oC on 22nd

Temp Average: 18.6^oC

I managed another moth trapping last night. There were three new species, a Pebble Hook-tip, Agriphila inquinatella and Trachycera advenella. Plus there were a few dead moths for me to dissect which might yield some additional new species.

As I reported a couple of days ago, I thought I'd seen a new species of butterfly, the Mallow Skipper, in the garden. I only got a brief glimpse and it was a species I only recognised from photos in one of my ID books so I wasn't sure. However, late in the day today, I saw it again and got some photo proof. A very nice record and I'm proud of my ninja IDing skills.

I've been working towards 600 lepidoptera species for the garden for 2026 - I'm now up to 580, so it is looking possible.

It was extremely hot today. Some hoverflies, including a couple of these Eristalis similis, were sitting behind one of our hedges in the shade.

A couple of Mazarine Blue butterflies were attempting to mate in the grass. And a late marbled white was struggling to fly in the heat.

I was lucky to spot this Lewes Wave moth beside the patio - yet another new species for us.

The Jersey Tiger from yesterday was still on the buddleia!

I saw this Lace Border moth on my pond net. I'm pleased to see that this species now seems to be resident here as I thought it originally came in with some thyme plants we bought.

I also saw this Endotricha flammealis micro moth in the pond (not dead) which I only recorded in the garden for the first time earlier this month.

I managed another moth trapping last night. It wasn't ideal as the temperature went quite low. Even so, I had a new species, an Oak Processionary moth. I also got some photos of a fresh Tree-lichen Beauty and a Scarce Silver Y. There was also a new weevil species on the patio - Graptus triguttatus - attracted to the light.

During the day, I managed to get some really good photos of a Brown Hairstreak butterfly and a Jersey Tiger moth. I also think I saw a Mallow Skipper butterfly, but I didn't get a photo so I can't be sure. Hopefully I'll get another chance later this week.

The second generation copper butterflies are now on-the-wing along with some of the blues.

I also recorded a new Volucella species, Volucella zonaria - a hornet mimic hoverfly with the same heft, noise and attitude of a real hornet, but completely harmless.

This robber fly had caught a damselfly in our upper garden. And we had a new fly species for the garden, Gymnosoma rotundatum.

We've seen adders before in various locations around the valley, but I came across this one just outside our garden - so I expect we already have them in the garden but just haven't seen them yet.

A couple more fledgling birds visited the garden today - a Jay and a Red-backed Shrike.

I had the moth trap out last night. I have a lot of dissections to do, but without even considering those, there were four new species. The Box Tree moth was not exactly a welcome visitor, but it's a beautiful moth nonetheless. The four new species are shown.

Last year, I was keeping an eye open for Dark Green Fritillary butterflies in the garden. We still haven't seen one in the garden, but we spotted this one only a few hundred metres away.

I collected a small caterpillar from a dog rose on the 2nd June. The moth emerged today - it being a Pandemis corylana moth. This is usually associated with fruit trees.

There were a few new species in the garden today. This Bombus lapidarius bee has been visiting some of the yellow stonecrop flowers in our dry stone walls for a couple of weeks. The marjoram is now flowering and species like this Physocephala rufipes wasp and this Great Banded Grayling butterfly are enjoying it.

I spotted a new macro moth species, a Sub-angled Wave in the upper part of our garden. I only managed to get a phone photo.

This fresh looking Pyrausta aurata moth was enjoying the newly flowering margoram.

And this vapourer caterpillar was munching through a melissa leaf.

This weird looking caddis fly, Mystacides azurea, was rushing around a leaf. It looks like it has two pairs of antennae, but the black ones are palps.

On one of my garden surveys, I found a new moth for the garden, Olethreutes arcuella.

We also had a Great Banded Grayling gliding around our heads. When the sun went in, he landed on the shed roof.