Loads of Common Blue damselflies, butterflies doing what they
do, flying! The only one I photographed was this Meadow Brown
which I quite like on the yellow flowers. I did see a pair of
Ringlets mating but too dark to photo. There were lots of the
caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth. Caterpillars are most evident
when ragwort is in full flower. The caterpillar stage lasts
about 1 month during which time it undergoes 5 moults. When
fully fed the caterpillars crawl away from the plants to pupate
in a dry sheltered spot such as among the debris at the base of
the plants or into crevices under logs, stones and lumps of
earth. The pupal stage is prolonged lasting about 9 months, and
the moths do not emerge again until the following spring. High
losses can occur in winter if pupation sites are waterlogged, as
pupae cannot stand prolonged immersion in water, although they
can survive considerable desiccation.graph. The foilage is being
eaten voraciously!