💾 Archived View for magda.cities.yesterweb.org › oblog › 2024-september-03.gmi captured on 2024-12-17 at 10:10:23. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
⬅️ Previous capture (2024-09-29)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Due to my blistered hands, the first field trip of September was set on the 3rd. This doesn't mean, however, that no observations were made prior to this.
My neighbor's butterfly bush not only continues to attract A. io, A. urticae, P. brassicae and P. rapae, my mother managed to observe a resting S. vulgatum – a dragonfly species that I did not record during this season until now – on it. With both S. vulgatum and A. cyanea now seeking out the village, it means that the dragonflies' last mating period of this season has begun.
Two trips were taken on this day due to the days getting shorter, which puts the peak of insect activity between 4 and 5 PM. The first trip ocurred during the normal time frame, where the weather was sunny, the winds were weak and temperatures reached 23°C (10:20 AM).
+-------------------------+---------------------------------+--------+ | Species | Location | Status | +-------------------------+---------------------------------|--------+ | Aglais io | Yard | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Pieris brassicae | Yard / Zone II | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Pieris napi | Mixed Field / Zone I / II / III | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Aeshna cyanea | Zone II | Adult | +-------------------------+---------------------------------+--------+
The second trip started at 4 PM. While the sky remained clear, moderate winds and temperatures of 28°C (4:51 PM) provided different conditions that were favored by most insects.
+-------------------------+---------------------------------+--------+ | Species | Location | Status | +-------------------------+---------------------------------|--------+ | Aglais io | Yard | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Colias sp. | Mixed Field | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Issoria lathonia | Mixed Field / Zone I | Adult | |-------------------------|–--------------------------------|–-------| | Pieris brassicae | Yard / Mixed Field / Zone I / | Adult | | | II / III | | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Pieris napi | Mixed Field / Zone I / II / III | Adult | |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Pieris rapae | Yard / Zone I / III | Adult | |–------------------------|---------------------------------|–-------| | Polyommatus bellargus | Zone I | Adult | |–------------------------|–--------------------------------|–-------| | Polyommatus icarus | Mixed Field / Zone III | Adult | |–------------------------|–--------------------------------|–-------| |-------------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | Aeshna cyanea | Zone II | Adult | +-------------------------+---------------------------------+--------+
The difference between the first and the second field trip were undeniably strong, providing proof for my hypothses that this shift of the peak towards afternoon only starts around late summer / early autumn and lasts until the end of the season.
More surprisingly is the current dominance of P. brassicae, whereas P. rapae is the least represented white. Indeed, both of my pupae still haven't hatched, meaning that their last generation will not peak until at least mid-September. The return of P. icarus and P. bellargus indicates that this butterfly season may last well into October.
Somewhat concerning is the absence of V. atalanta. One possible explanation for this may be the lack of rotten fruits due to the brief freezing period last April.