Melanargia galathea

The mention of this butterfly, the Marbled White, on the television the other day prompted me to go searching as I have seen them here before. Sure enough straight away in the garden one appeared gracefully flying about in front of the house. In 1717, the London apothecary who was also a botanist and entymologist, James Petiver, named this butterfly "Our Half Mourner". Its caterpillars are bright green with a darker green line, the eggs being sprinkled as the butterfly is fluttering about the grassland. The young appear in July.

Today was Yeovilton Air Day. No way were we going, apparently the heat was unbearable amongst the never diminishing crowds of people. Our neighbours took the plunge and went down there and said the temperature made it very difficult to concentrate on any of the displays. We saw and heard the Red Arrows from our garden!