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Cinnabar moth
Tyria jacobaeae
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The strikingly coloured Cinnabar moth can be seen during the summer months from May to July or August. It's favoured larval foodplant is Common Ragwort, a plant of high wildlife value yet which can cause problems to horses. The distinctive orange-and-black-striped caterpillars can also be seen on Ragwort in summer. Although still widespread in England and Wales, it is scarcer in Scotland and is often found in coastal locations. Long-term monitoring suggests that, like many other common moth species, it has undergone a significant decline in recent decades.
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Brown-lipped Snail
Cepaea nemoralis
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The Brown-lipped Snail is a common snail up to 2.5cm across which lives in a variety of habitats including grassland, hedgerows, woodland, sea cliffs and gardens. The shell colours are highly variable, with a background of yellow, brown or even pinkish colour overlain with 0-5 dark brown stripes (bands) following the shell whorls. It can be distinguished from it's close cousin the White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis by the brown line around the 'lip of the shell opening.
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Spignel
Meum athamanticum
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Spignel is a pleasantly aromatic perennial member of the carrot family with finely divided leaves which occur in whorls, giving the plant a feathery appearance. When crushed the leaves give off a sweet, aromatic scent. In summer it produces flattish white flower heads consisting of clusters of tiny, white or purplish white, flowers. The species is a priority species in the Dumfries and Galloway Local Biodiversity Action Plan. Being similar to other umbellifers, BSBI give a useful ID guide and species account here.
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Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
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The Whinchat is an attractive summer visitor, breeding in heathland, moorland and rough grassland. Males (like this one) are more brightly coloured than females and can be separated from their darker cousin the Stonechat by the prominent white eye stripe. Whinchats have declined nationally by over 50% since 1995 (source BTO, 2015), most markedly so in England.
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Species to look out for in July
