More ID's please!

[Cazzie]

It was so windy yesterday at Malham (even though warm and sunny) so I apologise for the none too clear pics of this butterfly.

Fritillary, but which one?





Then I found this hover fly?



and when I got home found this moth pretending to be invisible on my window frame lol!



Thankies!

[GuyF]

Hi Cazzie,
Your Fritillary is either a Dark Green or High Brown Fritillary, and it's a male. I think it's Dark Green but I've never seen a High Brown so I can only compare from books.
Maybe Sericomyia silentis for the hoverfly, but I'm not good on hoverfly ids!
And I'd say your moth is a Willow Beauty.
Guy

[Gill Catton]

I'm guessing at dark green for the frit (you lucky thing, I've yet to see one!)

the hoverfly seems quite big and robust and the colour of the legs and the yellow bits being wider than the black bits at the edges of the tergites makes me think Sericomyia silentis described as having an upland and western distribution would this work? A closer view of the antennae might help......

[Cazzie]

Thanks Guy and Gill!

Yep, the hoverfly was a biggy! and found in N.Yorkshire at Malham Tarn Moss reserve which is predominantly bog. That was the only shot I got of it unfortunately.

Ooo! a Dark Green Frit eh - excellent - that's a new one for me!!!! Just wish I'd got a better piccy of it, but it didn't sit still long enough and it was sooooo bloomin' windy

Hubby and son have just gone trout fishing so maybe I'll just have to go out again this affy lol!

[andymjukes]

The butterlfy is most likely dark green frit - to differentiate between this and high brown a pic of the underside hind wing will give you the info you need. Thats what I do anyway. (this gives you the number and location of silver spots on the hind wing). I cant tell the difference from the upper wings - too tricky
The hoverfly is deffinately S.silentis. Good indicator of mororaldns and boogy areas. There is a similar one called Sericomyia lappona which is slightly smaller with WHITE markings.
No idea with the moth.

[John]

I can certainly confirm that the moth is a Willow Beauty but I don't know enough about the others to give an opinion.

John

[GuyF]

Originally Posted by Cazzie

Thanks Guy and Gill!

Yep, the hoverfly was a biggy! and found in N.Yorkshire at Malham Tarn Moss reserve which is predominantly bog. That was the only shot I got of it unfortunately.

Ooo! a Dark Green Frit eh - excellent - that's a new one for me!!!! Just wish I'd got a better piccy of it, but it didn't sit still long enough and it was sooooo bloomin' windy

Hubby and son have just gone trout fishing so maybe I'll just have to go out again this affy lol!

If you do go back there and manage to spot a Fritillary again, as Andy says a shot of the underside will tell us for sure what it is.
Guy