Emperor Moth
This must be one of our most spectacular moths. It is a heathland speciality and emerges in spring. The females produce a chemical pheromone to attract a male from as much as 3 miles away. At this distance they must be detecting single molecules! Hence the large surface area, feathered antennae.
The larvae feed on heathers, and a wide variety of other plants including bramble, alder and willows). They too are large and spectacular
Brimstone
The females lay their camouflaged eggs on the surfaces of the leaves of young alder buckthorn leaves. This shrub grows around the margins of the wet areas on the Lowes
When small they are uniformly pale green and camouflaged. They often rest by day along the mid-rib of their leaf. They feed at night. As they grow they develop the markings shown here
Towards the end of May the larva hides itself away and pupates. The new adult then emerges sometime in August. It spends time nectaring and building up its body mas before hibernating. Thus this butterfly probably lives as an adult for longer than any other species in the UK!
Orange-tip
Orange-tip butterflies are one of the joys of spring. They are found on the Lowes where their food plants grow. They are Hedge Garlic and Cuckooflower, the former around woodland edges and the latter in calcareous areas of the mires
Green Hairstreak
Green Hairstreaks are found on heathland like the LOwes but are also common on chalk grassland. This is because it has a large nunber of potential food plants. On the Lowes it’s eggs are laid on Broom, Cross-leaved Heath, and Gorse
One of the earliest emergersin the spring. It is unique amongst British species as it overwinters as a pupa. Thus it can make an early start in the spring!
Green-veined White
This is another spring butterfly here nectaring on Ragged Robin in on of the fen area of a Lowes Mire. They are always found in dampa areas. The prominent veins on the underwing distinguish it from the similar and more common Small White. Cuckooflower, Garlic Mustard, Large Bitter-cress and Water-cress are its food plants
Holly Blue
This butterfly has 2 generations a year. The first lays its eggs on female Holly flowers in the Spring. The larvae eat the developing Holly fruit. The next generation which hatches from the pupae on Holly plants clearly cannot lay eggs on Holly flowers in August as there are none. So instead they lay their eggs on Ivy flowers and eat the developing berries. Another unique British species – this time because its two geneartations use different food plants
3 Skippers
These species are somewhat similar but are readily recognized as skippers by the way they do not fold up their wings when resting. All lay their eggs on grasses but the adults get nectar from a wide variety of flowers over the late spring and summer
Large Skippers are the largest of the three and have more darker areas on the wings, especiallly towards the lower edge. The photograph shows a male with a distinctive sex-brand in the middle of each forewing.
Small and Essex skippers are difficult to tell apart because there are subtle differences between them. the best way is to look at the undersides of the antennae tips. The Small has orange undersides the Essex black.
Grayling
The Grayling is becoming a rare butterfly and it’s numbers seem to be declining overall and especially on the Lowes. It needs dry sheltered habitats with short vegetation. Grazing is vital
It is a late summer insect, quite large and always rests distinctively wih its wings vertically closed. You rarely see the upper wing. Foodplants are grasses
If you do see Grayling on the Lowes, please contact contact David Horsley davidth@holtlowes.org
White Admiral
This butterfly is relatively new to this part of Norfolk. Climate change is the reason. It’s larvae feed on Honeysuckle
Silver-washed Fritillary
A butterfly that has returned to this part of Norfolk. A natural reintroduction or a human one – we don’t know. They are doing well in the Country Park, where their larval food plant – violet- grows , but many come onto the Lowes in search of nectar.
The following species are all relatively common on the Lowes and elsewhere around Holt
