Lepidoptera back in business

After a bit of a lull over the last few weeks, especially in butterfly sightings, today brought a lot more interest at the nature reserve. Marbled White and Common Blue numbers are starting to build up, I saw my first Dark Green Fritillary of the year and these exotic day-flying moths are on the wing. This is the Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moth, Zygaena lonicerae, exploring the florets on a head of Common Valerian. It is the most common burnet moth to be found on rough chalk grassland, its bright colours thought to be warning birds of its amazing ability to release hydrocyanic acid.