Small Things

Again, the promised rain held off long enough for us to get a walk in this morning, albeit a short one. But it proved to be quite productive with a couple of opportunities to 'snap' some of the smaller fauna of Shipley Park. Firstly this slippery character...

It turned out to be a Strawberry Snail (Trichia striolata). A common species which is usually nocturnal, it feeds on a wide range of plants - seen here on a Cock's Foot Grass stem.

A little further round the path and my eye was drawn to another small creature in the greenery. This time, sitting on a common Vetch plant - a 5-Spot Burnet Moth (Zygaena lonicerae).

The larvae of these day-flying moths feed on the Vetch plants and the adults feed on the flowers. With a wingspan of about 2" the black of it's body and antennae contrast well with the bright red of the spots.