I have seen Fairies... Butterfly id please!

Discussion in 'Wildlife Corner' started by Selleri, Aug 4, 2023.

  1. Selleri

    Selleri Koala

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    Now I know where fairytales come from. At dusk, I saw a flock of very dainty, tiny fairies rise from the grass flying around in a circle just above the moist grass, like dancing.

    If someone had shown me a painting with them having human bodies under the wings I would have believed it. Lovely sight. :)

    Anyways, I have seen a few in the past days flying solo, visiting Bacopa flowers and perching on blades of grass. Definitely butterflies and not other insects (or Fairies).

    They are very small, wingspan of about 2cm, greyish white, much more pronounced front than back wings. Against light they are almost translucent.

    I have googled a lot, Small Blue is closest if it were paler and had smaller back wings, and agreed on eating something else than Kidney Vetch. But gives an idea.

    I have never seen them before but this week they have appeared in small groups and as individuals.

    Thanks for ID!

    (And please don't tell me it's Common Or Garden Small Fairy Butterfly, a common sight across every square meter of UK... :wallbanging: ;) I've never seen these before)
     
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    • JWK

      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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      Flying in flocks at dusk sounds more like moth behaviour than butterfly. All the years I lived in Yorkshire I never once saw a Small Blue, they are in the South mainly I found, Hampshire in particular although we see some, always singly, in our garden in Surrey.
       
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      • Sheal

        Sheal Total Gardener

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        • Selleri

          Selleri Koala

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          I don't think so, my fairy doesn't seem to have any notable patterns but is uniform colour and paler. It's raining heavily but I'll keep an eye if the downpour ever stops- perhaps they are moths of some kind.

          Thanks for the prod to the thread, I have spent all morning just admiring the photos :)
           
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          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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            You obviously have fairies at the bottom of your garden.;):biggrin:
             
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            • shiney

              shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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              But she doesn't live in Woolwich! :whistle: :heehee:
               
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              • pete

                pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                Obviously they have moved North.:dunno:
                 
              • Selleri

                Selleri Koala

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                I have valiantly tried to capture photographic evidence, even trying the old method of having a glass of wine with my lunch. :biggrin:

                The Fairies didn't appear until dusk and now I'm thinking I'm seeing two different creatures, one a Fairy and another a butterfly. I'll stop drinking now.

                Here are the best shots I got of the Fairies:


                fairy4.jpg



                fairy3.jpg fairy2.jpg fairy6.jpg

                :whistle:

                fairy5.jpg
                 

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                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                  Grasshopper?

                  [​IMG]
                   
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                  • JWK

                    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                    There does appear to be a stationary grasshopper there but the flying insect isn't one. I'm still going with moth. Keep taking the photos !
                     
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                    • strongylodon

                      strongylodon Old Member

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                      @Selleri These are Inlaid Grass Veneer moths, living in grass and feeding at night.:smile:
                       
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                      • Selleri

                        Selleri Koala

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                        Thanks @strongylodon , the size and habit are spot on! In the photos they look a bit darker than my fairies and they don't seem to be that common in the North East, I need to keep on trying to take better photos.

                        Crambus pascuella | NatureSpot

                        I read the name first "Inlaid Glass veneer" which actually sounds quite nice :biggrin:
                         
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