21 August β 2 December
the coastal calendar, shifted 32 days later for this region
Hovering at lavender and valerian in full sun; mistaken for a hummingbird every summer.
Partly migratory: the coastal population is topped up every spring by moths arriving from further south, so numbers in a given July say as much about Africa as about the local bedstraw crop.
photos, sightings and recordings, off this site
where this species is on the list
| Phase | When | Length | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| hibernating | 3 December β 1 April | 120 days | True hibernation: body temperature drops and the animal cannot simply wake. |
| going about the year | 2 April β 1 June | 61 days | Feeding, holding territory, doing nothing the calendar singles out. |
| on eggs | 2 June β 20 June | 19 days | Clutch laid and being incubated, or buried and left to the sun. |
| larvae feeding | 21 June β 26 July | 36 days | Caterpillars, grubs or nymphs feeding and growing. |
| in the pupa | 27 July β 20 August | 25 days | Rebuilt inside a chrysalis or cocoon; the animal cannot move or feed. |
| adults on the wing | 21 August β 2 December | 104 days | The new generation is out, winged and looking for a mate. |