Five-spot Burnet Moth & Drone Fly

[nanila]

I'm still working on photographing and identifying visitors to our lavender. Contained herein are (I think) a five-spot burnet moth and a drone fly. It's quite easy to mix up the narrow-bordered five-spot burnet moths with the five-spots, so if anyone can confirm which is in the photo, I'd appreciate it!

There've been lots of small tortoiseshell butterflies, but I have yet to see more than one each of peacock and comma butterflies, of which we had many last year.


Five-spot burnet moth


Drone fly

Both photos taken last weekend in rural Worcestershire, England, UK.

Comments

[sid]

Very striking photos!

[untonuggan]

Those are gorgeous. <3 Thank you!

[spiralsheep]

My IDing skills only go as far as burnet/not, and were learned in a very different English habitat, sorry.

Swap your drone flies for the blandford flies that attacked me last week? I also have a bridge I'd like to sell you.... ;-)

[shirebound]

I'm loving your photos. Thank you for sharing them.

[lavendertook]

Lovely shots!

[elainegrey]

Count me in as another admirer. I've sprained my ankle and had my telephoto next to me on my deck all last week, hoping to get one of the wasp-like critters that fly by, but no luck.

[nanila]

Thank you! This is a great time of year to bring the macro lens out into the garden.

[nanila]

Glad you enjoyed seeing them too. :) It's a pleasure to sit in the garden with a cup of tea and watch them, when I have the time.

[nanila]

I think the difference between the narrow-bordered and regular five-spots is pretty subtle and has something to do with wing-shape. Apparently if you want to be sure which ones you've got in your garden, you pretty much have to raise them from larvae yourself.

Around here the horseflies come out whenever the farmers manure the neighbouring fields. They're vicious!

[nanila]

Oh, thank you! It's a pleasure to take them. I run for my camera every time I see a new/undocumented visitor.

[nanila]

Thank you!

[nanila]

Oh, sympathies on the sprained ankle. That's no fun. Also makes it difficult to sprint after fast-moving photogenic subjects. :/

[shirebound]

Is that Nelli Kim in your icon?? I saw her in person at the 1984 L.A. Olympics.

[blackmare]

Wow, that burnet is really, really striking! I've seen something that might have been related before, but I don't think I've ever come across one of those.

[nanila]

Yes, it is! She was such an elegant gymnast. I am envious that you saw her in person, although I guess she was judging then?

[nanila]

The cinnabar moth has the same colour scheme, except the red is in long bars rather than spots. Maybe that was it?

[shirebound]

Oh gosh, my mistake. I knew that was Nelli Kim, but I was confusing her with the amazing gymnast I saw in L.A. -- Ma Yanhong.