The light and the dark

Sultry afternoon
A butterfly alights
Alight with iridescence


Ragwort's unpopularity is not shared by the small tortoiseshell butterfly. Each ragged wort hosted several individuals - good to see as this once common species has suffered a dramatic decline over the past 10-15 years, by as much as 77% in some parts of the UK. Not only has the loss been caused by horse-keepers removing ragwort, but the clearing away of patches of nettles has reduced the availability of the larvae's main food plant. 
In addition there has been a more sinister development; owing to the rise in global temperature, a parasitic fly Sturmia bella has spread northwards. It lays its eggs on nettles where the caterpillars feed and once an egg has been  ingested the parasite develops inside the larva and consumes it from within, avoiding its vital organs so that  that it can continue to live and nourish the parasite until the fly emerges fully formed, killing its host in the process.

A darker story for a sunshiney day; nothing is what it seems in the natural world.

Apologies for my non-appearance in recent days - finding it difficult to keep abreast of things.