This morning, Jenna and I attended a Butterfly Conservation event at Great Wood in Keswick, Cumbria.
Our primary target was the Netted Carpet Moth (Eustroma reticulatum), an extremely rare species in England, believed to persist in only a handful of sites across Cumbria and North Lancashire. We were fortunate: one had been trapped overnight and was on display as soon as we arrived.
Netted Carpet
The caterpillars of the Netted Carpet feed exclusively on Touch-me-not Balsam (Impatiens noli-tangere), the UK’s only native balsam, notable for its large, bright yellow flowers. This species can be confused with the invasive Small Balsam (Impatiens parviflora), which is shorter and bears smaller, paler flowers. The plant earns its “touch-me-not” name because its seed capsules explosively eject seeds when touched. For successful germination, these seeds require soil disturbance—often by animals—and some dappled sunlight.
Touch-me-not Balsam
As we opened the traps, we added several new species to our life lists
White-pinion Spotted
Small Fan-footed Wave
Oak Hook-tip
Canary-shouldered Thorn
We had a lovely morning in an idyllic setting and then returned home to relax in the afternoon sun.
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