#succisa

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 1 October 2024

In this Scottish woodland glade the Succisa pratensis (Devil's-bit scabious) was attracting the butterflies and other pollinators. This plant is a native wildflower of damp meadows, marshes and riverbanks.

Common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) resting on Devil's bit scabious (Succisa pratensis)

Brun Bjørnesvirreflue (Arctophila superbiens)

Denne relativt sjældne svirreflue er knyttet til vandløb og vådområder. Om efteråret lever den angiveligt næsten udelukkende af nektar fra Djævelsbid (Succisa pratensis), som det også ses på billederne her.

Larven er vandlevende og tilpasset livet i iltfattige omgivelser, idet den har et hale-agtigt ånderør, hvormed den kan trække atmosfærisk ilt, selvom den er under vand.

Brun Bjørnesvirreflue ses fra tidlig sommer og indtil midt på efteråret.

Late Bear Hoverfly (Arctophila superbiens)

This relatively rare species of hoverfly is found in wetlands and near streams. In the autumn, it is supposedly feeding almost exclusively on nectar from Devil’s-bit Scarbious (Succisa pratensis) as is the case in these pictures.

The aquatic larva is adapted to a life in anoxic freshwater with a tail-like breathing tube for accessing atmospheric oxygen from its submerged position.

Devil's-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis)

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 7 September 2022

A wildflower of damp meadows, marshes, and riverbanks Succisa pratensis (Devil’s-bit scabious, lady’s pincushion, bachelor’s buttons, blue bonnets) is flowering along the roadsides of Orkney. The flowers provide late season nectar for pollinators and the foliage is the foodplant for the declining butterfly Euphydryas aurinia (marsh fritillary).

Plant of the Day

Thursday 5 September 2019

In late summer on Orkney the Succisa pratensis (Devil’s-bit scabious, blue bonnets, blue buttons, blue kiss) heralds the end of summer. This native plant grows in moist and slightly acidic soils and is found on cliff-tops, inland heaths, and rough grassland. It is popular with bees, moths and butterflies, including the painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) seen here. Despite their delicate appearance, these insects can cover up to 100 miles each day as they migrate. This year has been a ‘painted lady year’ with many reaching the far north of the UK. It can take up to six generations (each life cycle takes five to eight week) to make the annual migration, leaving Africa in April and heading northwards.

Succisa pratensis, Caprifoliaceae

Up on some hills south of Glasgow I found a large patch of devil’s-bit, or devil’s-bit scabious, so another native plant in the Caprifoliaceae to add to the blog! Scotland has already shown me more diversity within this family than what I had previously directly observed around where I lived in northern Italy.