Butterfly bar

It's never too late to establish a butterfly bar. Actually insect bar would be a better name, since the stuff seems to attract also Hymenoptera (wasps, ants), Diptera (flies, male mosquitoes) and even longhorn beetles.

Here's the ingredients for what I use:
- 1 bottle (or more) of cheapest red wine
- about 1/5th balsamic winegar
- looots of sugar, preferably brown
- a packet of yeast (lots of this is a plus)
- all kinds of easily-fermenting stuff you can find (old fruits, white wine, beer etc.)

Mix them in a bowl, let stay for 2-3 days. When the fluid smells horrible, it's ready!

Bar can be established in several ways. I usually use dishcloth pieces, that can be left hanging on a branch and can be easily collected.

Apatura ilia

Apatura ilia, Espoo, 19.7.2012

Apatura ilia was a rare butterfly in Finland in early- to mid-2000s. First recorded in 2000, the species slowly grew more common, until after 2007 the influxes (also in 2009 and 2010) gave it a foothold on the southern coast of Finland. In Western Nyland (Uusimaa) region the ilia has displaced Apatura iris as the more common of the two. I saw my first iris in 2008 or -09, and my first ilia in 2010. Now I have seen five ilias in the span of two days. The species seems to have become established in the Helsinki region.

Identification is quite straightforward and easy. Large, dark and white-marked butterfly, with a yellow proboscis, distinct blue hue if seen well, rufous-white underparts and eyespots on the top of each wing (iris only has eyespots on the hindwing). Limenitis populi is larger, darker, without the blue hue or eyespots, and has a row of orange spots in the rear hindwing.

Larva lives on Salix caprea and other willows Salix spp., as well as Populus spp. (poplars and aspen). Favours forest edges, and flies relatively high. Often lands on bare soil, where it feeds on minerals; also likes trap liquids and rotten organic matter (feces, urea, carcasses etc.)

Helophilus (Diptera: Syrphidae)

Helophilus cf. pendulus, Helsinki 10.7.2012

I think this is H.pendulus, based on the leg markings. Beautiful, and very common too.

Lestidae of Finland: Lestes sponsa

Lestes sponsa, f, Helsinki 10.7.2012

Lestidae of Finland consists of four species that fall in two genera: 3 species in genus Lestes and one species in genus Sympecma. Out of these, the most common species by far is the Common Spreadwing/Emerald Damselfly, sirokeijukorento, allmän smaragdflickslända, Lestes sponsa (Hansemann 1823). The Lestidae are a sister group to all other damseflies (Zygoptera), and their internal taxonomy seems a bit freaky (Dijkstra & Kalkman 2012).

Ubiquitous and common, sponsa ranges from South Coast to Lapland and from Ilomantsi to the West Coast. It is also the most common Lestes in most of Europe, and one of the most common Odonata species in the northern Europe. It lives in all kinds of lentic waters and slow-flowing rivers, only missing from some oligotrophic and/or large lakes. It is an autumn species, with emergence beginning in late June; last fliers are usually seen in September.

Sponsas can be very numerous, and congregations of hundreds and thousands are not rare. They often oviposit in groups. Large numbers can be seen around small, fish-empty and sometimes ephemeral pools and ponds, especially those with rich vegetation, such as Typha stands.

Identification of Lestes sensu lato in field is quite straightforward. Metallic, green gloss, spread wings and goofy jizz usually make identfication straightforward. Species identification can be bit more challenging. Hand charasteristics include five-cornered wing cells somewhere and other relatively useless features. Just look at it! European Odonata are easy.

Sponsa is usually identified by the combination of following features:
1) Very common. Although not a basis for identification, about 95 - 99 % of Lestes individuals in Finland are sponsa. Maybe even more. So you start with the assumption that it is probably sponsa.
2) Females: pale antehumeral stripes (cf. Lestes dryas). Dark back of the head (cf. Lestes virens). Dark pterostigma (cf. virens). There is a lone dark spot at the base of the first pair of legs. The ovipositor's size is useful, if one has experience, but I would caution against using it as a primary means of identification if you are a novice with sponsa/dryas -pair!
3) Males: young look like female sponsa. Adults have no metallic sheen on the S2, instead the entire segment is pruinose (cf. dryas). Back of the head is dark and pterostigma dark (cf. virens). Males' lower appendages are relatively straight, not strongly curved towards each other. Be careful with young sponsa males, where their pruinosity is not yet fully developed and they can thus resemble dryas!

Dryas is scarce, virens is a vagrant, and our fourth Lestid, Sympecma paedisca, resembles Enallagma more than a lestid. More of them later.

References:
Dijkstra, K.-D. B., Kalkman, V. J. 2012: Phylogeny, classification and taxonomy of European
dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata): a review. - Organisms Diversity and Evolution (in press) Link

Musk Beetle Aromia moschata

Big.

Pernaja Hamnskär 4.7.2012

Razorbill (Alca torda) was common. Pernaja, FIN

Guillemots are weird.

Razorbills came to check us out. We're already leaving!

Went to Pernaja to see something. Dozens of Common Murres (Uria aalge) were obviously the best observation. There are only two permanent colonies in Finland: One in Åland, one near Aspskär. Aspskär's colony has been growing steadily and now numbers over 200 nesting Murres; the colony is spreading to nearby skärs known as Skarven (Swedish for Cormorant). Weather was superb.