Chalkhill Blue

Kent-based amateur naturalist, nature blogger, recording musician & rock writer. #InstrumentalMusic #moths #KentNature

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

Took me a while to work out what was happening here - this was 30 Oct in North Kent. Looks like a Segestria has attempted to shed its skin, failed, and died in the process. It's a bit early for these spiders to be pegging out; some in our road survive all winter.

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@MOTHIDUK Superb, thanks man

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

Hi @MOTHIDUK , I'm always really excited if I find a new species of Plume moth. This one is really small - Hemp-agrimony? Small goldenrod maybe? What do you reckon? North Kent last week. Cheers

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@rlewington2 Hell's bells - nice! Does it include all your illustrations from the Moths/Micromoths/Butterflies volumes?

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@BritishSpiders Segestria is an ambush predator - it spins trip-wires, then when one is triggered, it leaps out and devours its prey. But here, I see no trip-wires and no lair! Do they hunt too? Are they opportunists? Also, can anyone ID the inch-long (but headless) prey beetle??

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@BritishSpiders, Segestrias are ambush predators. They spin trip-wires, then when one is triggered, the spider leaps out and devours it. But I see no trip-wires here, and I see no lair. Do they also hunt? Are they opportunists? Also, can anyone identify the large prey beetle??

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@FlyinginFordham @MOTHIDUK Hmmmm.... So it is. No wonder I couldn't find it - it doesn't appear in my Lewington. Another recent introduction, it seems! Thanks a lot, ChB

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

Hi @mothiduk, having a bit of trouble with this one I found in my house in Kent last week - very small, 1cm wingspan - one of the China Marks? But which one? Thanks

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@MOTHIDUK Hmmmm.... So it is. No wonder I couldn't find it - it doesn't appear in my Lewington. Another recent introduciton, it seems! Thanks a lot, ChB

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@MOTHIDUK Superb, thanks!

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

Hi @MOTHIDUK , Sorry, I know you must get this all the time - but what do we reckon? Common or Dingy? Today in Gravesend, Kent. Cheers

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

Can anyone in the community explain what's going on here please? If I had to guess, I'd say it looks like a woodlouse is eating a leg from a partially destroyed fly, which may have been previously caught and devoured by a spider...?

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@MOTHIDUK Thanks!!

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

Hi @MOTHIDUK , I've been a bit quiet on this forum lately, but would you mind ID-ing this one for me? Country park in North Kent last week. I thought Pammene regiana, but the gold spot is the wrong shape amongst other things. Cheers

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@FlyinginFordham @MOTHIDUK Thanks!!

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@BritishSpiders @BerryTylan Thanks!

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

Hi @BritishSpiders , been a while since I posted on here! I found this laddie on my kitchen ceiling, in an urban area in North Kent. It's just over an inch long toe-to-toe; maybe 5 or 6mm body length. Any idea what it is?? Thanks

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@MOTHIDUK OK, thanks man

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

@MOTHIDUK Hi, found this pug on the side of the shed this weekend, (North Kent, urban). Looks like a common pug to me, (the white spot showed better in real life than in the photo), but my book gives a max wingspan of 18mm - this one was more like 25mm. Am I wrong?

[Chalkhill Blue @ChalkhillBlue1]

It was a warm, intermittently sunny day today in Gravesend, and I saw a brimstone butterfly. Is that a woefully late 2nd gen, or an incredibly early 1st gen?? Or a an individual woken from hibernation?