The first half of June sees a lull in the number of butterflies on the wing. Apart from the occasional glimpse of a brimstone, spring species have more or less finished whereas those of summer have not yet taken over.

Then,from the middle of June grassland butterflies including meadow brown,large,Essex and small skippers (illustrated), common blues and ringlets emerge.The second brood of whites brighten our days together with tortoiseshells,commas and peacocks.

Last summer,all white species' populations were the best for many years but so far this season numbers are low and slow to appear.The very wet winter may be responsible for this as cold frosty conditions which were largely absent are far more favourable for species hibernating either as larvae or pupae.

Moths have also suffered serious declines within the past two decades.Twenty years ago my porch light regularly attracted a whole range of moths at night but now very few appear.

In Britain we have more species of day-flying moths than butterflies.The day fliers are very colourful and often mistaken for butterflies,the theory being that a brightly coloured day flying insect cannot be a moth as surely most are drab?It is true that many night-flying moths are relatively dull but there are several exceptions.

Emerging now is the cinnabar moth,an attractive black, red spotted day-flying grassland species and soon,the black and red burnet moths will appear,usually in very large numbers flying slowly on hot days rather like bumblebees above the sward.