💾 Archived View for magda.cities.yesterweb.org › oblog › 2024-august-12.gmi captured on 2024-08-18 at 17:24:48. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
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To make up for the shortened field trip the previous day, I went outside again and was fortunate enough to have made it before the weak winds began to get stronger. With few clouds and 24°C (10:37 AM), the weather was much better than on the 11th.
+-------------------------+---------------------------------+--------+ | Species | Location | Status | +-------------------------+---------------------------------|--------+ | Araschnia levana | Zone I / II | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Celastrina argiolus | Zone I | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Coenonympha pamphilus | Zone III | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Issoria lathonia | Zone I | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Maniola jurtina | Mixed Field / Zone I / II / III | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Pieris napi | Mixed Field / Zone I / II / III | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Pieris rapae | Zone II | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Polyommatus icarus | Zone III | Adult | |-------------------------|–--------------------------------|--------| | Vanessa atalanta | Zone II | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Aeshna cyanea | Zone I | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Coenagrion mercuriale | Zone II / III | Adult | +-------------------------+---------------------------------+--------+
Roughly four A. levana were counted, which now makes this day the strongest for this species since the start of my ecological observations in 2022. P. napi now dominates all areas in relatively huge numbers, followed by M. jurtina. While C. pamphilus is starting its third and last generation of this year, P. icarus currently is a rare sight, with only one female with damaged wings making up the entry above.
And although I assumed that all damselflies have ended their seasons, C. mercuriale has begun to appear again, hinting at the possibility that the recent mowing of one of its hotspots – the second time this year and despite the area already having lacked a proper vegataion – was responsible for its sudden decline again.
On a side note, "Mixed Field" currently is not only being harvested but plowed up, meaning that it won't offer alfalfa next year. Given that the wheat field next to it has grown so fast to the point that no fodder beet or potatoes were planted this year, it may be possible that half of the current area hosting alfalfa will be converted to a monoculture, as well.