Lepidoptera 

We have 17km of carefully managed grass borders around our fields, providing essential habitats for ground nesting birds, small mammals, our native wildflowers, butterflies and bees. 3 Hectares (7.4 Acres) of various bespoke wild bird mixes, for our overwintering feathered friends, Beetlebanks, several wildlife ponds and 8 Hectares (20.4 Acres) of species rich grassland, while our woodland provides a perfect habitat for the Silver Washed fritillary, Purple Hairstreak, Speckled Wood and Gatekeeper butterflies.

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Butterflies

Our hedges have been sensitively managed for all manner of butterfly, but in particular, Brown Hairstreak butterflies which have been found on a number of hedges across the farm. With 322 eggs being found over the 2012/2013 winter period. Mark Fletcher has spent innumerable, often cold and wet, days, tirelessly photographing and recording their exact location.  His expert eye, and comprehensive knowledge of butterflies and moths, continues to provide an invaluable record of all of our lepidoptera species and how they are affected by the management of the farm, the seasons and the microclimate.

Butterflies at Downhead

  • Small Skipper
  •  Essex Skipper
  •  Large Skipper
  •  Clouded Yellow
  •  Brimstone
  •  Large White
  •  Small White
  •  Green-veined White
  •  Orange Tip
  •  Purple Hairstreak
  •  Brown Hairstreak
  •  White letter hairstreak
  •  Small Copper
  •  Brown Argus
  •  Holly Blue

  •  Red Admiral
  •  Painted Lady
  •  Small Tortoiseshell
  •  Peacock
  •  Comma
  •  Silver-washed Fritillary
  •  Speckled Wood
  •  Wall
  •  Marbled White
  •  Gatekeeper
  •  Meadow Brown
  •  Small Heath
  •  Ringlet
  •  Common Blue

Moths & Micromoths

 

There are over 2500 species of moths in Britain and have an important role in our wildlife ecosystem. 

Moths at Downhead

  •  Pyralidae agriphila
  •  Capperia britanniodactyla
  •  Esperia sulphurella
  •  The Parsnip 
  •  Pterophorus pentadactyla
  •  Pyrausta purpuralis
  •  Udea ferrugalis
  •  Udea prunalis
  •  Tortricidae celypha or lobesia
  •  Feathered Thorn
  •  Agonopterix alstromeriana
  •  Bright-line Brown-eye
  •  White Plume
  •  Cnephasia
  •  Scalloped Oak
  •  Brindled Beauty
  •  Brown Scallop
  •  Buff Tip
  •  Burnished Brass
  •  Clouded Border
  •  Clouded Silver
  •  Dark Umber
  •  Grey Dagger
  •  Large Yellow Underwing
  •  Lime-Speck Pug
  •  Hebrew Character
  •  Pebble Prominent
  •  Riband Wave
  •  Single Dotted Wave
  •  The Dun-Bar
  •  Buff Ermine
  •  Apple or Spindle Ermine
  •  Pale Eggar
  •  Blue Bordered Carpet Moth
  •  The Drinker
  •  Six Spot Burnet
  •  Yellow Shell
  •  Common Carpet
  •  Straw Dot
  •  Vapourer
  •  Oak Eggar
  •  Thorn
  •  Elephant Hawkmoth
  •  White Plume
  •  The Herald
  •  Narrow Bordered 5-Spot Burnet
  •  Broken Barred Carpet
  •  Common Wave
  • Mother Shipton

 

  • Mottled Pug
  •  Pale Tussock
  •  Powdered Quaker
  •  Puss Moth
  •  Red Line Quaker
  •  Twin Spot Carpet
  •  Sallow Kitten
  •  Small Eggar
  •  Small Quaker
  •  Square Spot Rustic
  •  The Magpie
  •  The Snout
  •  The Winter
  •  Common Footman
  •  Common or Lesser Common Rustic
  •  Figure of Eight
  •  Flame Shoulder
  •  Heart and Dart
  •  Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
  •  Pale Prominent
  •  Purple Thorn
  • Rosy Footman
  •  Small Dusty Wave
  •  Small Emerald
  •  Willow Beauty
  • Clouded Brindle
  • Green Carpet
  • Red Twin-spot Carpet
  • Small Fan-footed Wave
  • Small Yellow Underwing
  • The Mocha
  • Yellow-tail
  • Large Fruit Tree Tortrix
  • Mottled Pug
  •  Pale Tussock
  •  Powdered Quaker
  •  Puss Moth
  •  Red Line Quaker
  •  Twin Spot Carpet
  •  Sallow Kitten
  • Early Thorn
  •  Angle Shade
  •  Brimstone
  •  Dingy Footman\
  • Light Emerald
  • Cream Wave
  •  The Mullein
  •  The Lackey
  • Dusky Sallow
  •  Cinnabar
  •  Shaded Broad-Bar
  •  Five Spot Burnet
  •  Burnet Companion
  •  Dark Arches
  •  Knot Grass
  •  Mottled Umber
  •  Shark Moth
  •  Hummingbird Hawkmoth
  •  The Sycamore
  •  Mother Shipton
  •  Blood Vein
  •  Silver-Ground Carpet
  •  Silver-Y
  •  The Codling
  •  Diamond Back
  •  Chrysoteuchia culmella
  •  Crambus lathoniellus
  •  Crambus perella
  •  Eudonia delunella
  •  Celypha lacunana
  •  Anthophilia fabriciana Nettle Tap
  •  Ectoedemia decentella
  •  Grapholita jungiella
  •  Hedya ochroleucana
  •  Nemophora degeerella
  •  Nomophila noctuella Rush Veneer
  •  Adela reaumurella
  •  Agapeta hamana
  •  Agriphila straminella
  •  Agriphila tristella
  •  Alabonia geoffrella
  •  Catoptria falsella
  •  Hedya pruniana
  •  Pseudargyrotoza conwagana
  •  Cauchas rufimitrella
  •  Acleris rhombana
  •  Aleimma loeflingiana
  •  Dolicharthria punctalis or Udea prunalis
  •  Emmelina monodactyla
  •  Hedya pruniana Plum Tortix
  •  Epiblema scutulana
  •  Adela reaumurella
  •  Large Tree Tortix
  •  Marbled Orchard Tortix
  •  Clouded Bordered-brindle
  •  Platypilia pallidactyla
  • Alabonia geoffrella
  • The Winter
  • Common Swift
  •  Green Brindled Crescent