eggs and larvae

In Bucks and Oxon too it has been very difficult to find larvae. It started well enough, sensationally in fact, with Steve Croxford finding 14 eggs in a mid-Bucks wood in mid July in a very short time [see his blog for the details]. Normally, I never start looking until the beginning of August but, for this early season, this was obviously already too late. It seems that predators have had a field day this year and snapped up most of the larvae in July. Matthew and I, together and separately, have found many leaves that had 'iris was here' written all over them.