I will be adding to this page on a regular basis depending on what I see and photograph in and around the gardens. It seems to me that butterflies and moths are generally becoming more common as are snails (to the delight of thrushes and the disgust of gardeners). One butterfly that is seen more and more is the speckled wood which is flying now (late May) as is the peacock. Moths are abundant any month of the year. Caterpillars are a real pest in the vegetable garden particularly in the polytunnels as there are no birds inside to control them and we don't use pesticides. Some of the worst pests, such as the tomato moth caterpillar, are nocturnal and thus avoid being eaten by birds.
Speckled wood butterfly.
Photos and text by Ian Lamb.