Snake in the grass

The sexual dimorphism is quite distinctive among Silver Studded Blues. These are females on common land near Pirbright. They're thought to be better camouflaged than the males since they're the egg carriers and therefore matter more. Well that's what Andrea Leadsom says. I was down in the heather and didn't notice the adder (another female) a few feet away until I saw it slithering off. Now I know where it lives I'll try to get a picture of it when the sun shines again.

They won't publish the letter, I'm sure, but I've written to the Daily Telegraph to point out their error in illustrating a feature on the Purple Emperor in their gardening section this Saturday. They used a pic of the Southern White Admiral not found in the UK - shocking!