Invertebrate holiday update

I have had quite a few posts about the butterflies around the cabin at Hulvik including this one from last year which summarises the species I have seen. Prior to this year I had recorded 34 species and our visit at the end of May had already added a new one with Green-underside Blue (kløverblåvinge). I had more observations of that species this last week including an egg laying female but no other new species. My total of 16 species was not very impressive and the complete absence of any of the larger fritillaries was worrying.

1. Large Skipper /engsmyger
2. Brimstone / sitronsommerfugl
3. Silver-studded Blue/argusblåvinge - assumed this species but probaly both this and Idas seen
4. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary /brunflekket perlemorvinge plus a number of fast moving similarly sized fritillaries that could have been 0-4 other species
5. Red Admiral / admiral
6. Small Tortoiseshell / neslesommerfugl
7. Pearly Heath /perleringvinge
8. Ringlet /gullrinvinge
9. Small White / liten kålsommerfugl
10. Common Blue / tiriltungeblåvinge
11. Small Copper / ildgullvinge
12. Grizzled Skipper / bakkesmyger
13. Dingy Skipper / tiriltungesmyger
14. Moorland Clouded Yellow / myrgulvinge
15. Wall Brown (sørringvinge)
16. Green-underside Blue / kløverblåvinge

In addition to these butterflies I also noted the odd moth (god forgive), grasshopper, wasp and odonata. It was in fact a moth which was the real invertebrate highlight - a broad-bordered bee hawk-moth (bredkantet humlesvermer) allowed itself to be admired and photographed at close range. I saw what was most likely this species last year but it didn’t hang around long enough for me to confirm so I was very happy that this one allowed me to go and get my camera (I was swimming at the time).

Another very interesting moment was provided by a red-banded sand wasp carrying a caterpillar over the patio of the cabin. I wish I had followed it as it was only afterwards that I read up and realised that the caterpillar was going to be taken to a hole where the wasp would lay an egg inside it and the caterpillar would provide food for its offspring.

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Broad bordered bee hawk-moth (bredkantet humlesvermer)

a Common Blue (tiriltungeblåvinge) lacking the (distinctive) spot at the base of the front wing

and one with the spot

Large Skipper (engsmyger)

the red-banded sand wasp (nattflylarvegraver) with caterpillar

Dingy Skipper (tiriltungesmyger)

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (brunflekket perlemorvinge)

Moorland Clouded Yellow (myrgulvinge) as you normally see them showing just the underwing

and here with a bit of the upperwing showing

and here a lucky shot showing the whole upperwing almost in focus as it flies up

the upperside of what I believe is a Silver-studded blue (argusblåvinge) and not the near identical Idas blue (idasblåvinge)

underside of the above blue

this one which has a much narrower blue border is I believe an Idas but in Norway the only accepted way to tell them apart is by observing the spine on the fore tibia which only Silver-studded is (supposed) to have

a Four Spotted Chaser (firflekkbredlibelle)

Grizzled Skipper (bakkesmyger)

egg laying Green-underside Blue (kløverblåvinge)

Great Green Bush Cricket (grønn løvgresshoppe)