Saturday 20 July 2013

Want to make anything of it, then?


See headline...  Plus one thought: I don't think moths have eyelids like us because this one was sound asleep

Moths never strike me as aggressive, nor are they, but there's definitely an air of challenge about this one. Actually it's nothing more exciting than a Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, the most appealing of a tribe with which I have historic issues, because they used to infest my trap in Leeds at around this time of the year.


Up to 100 assorted yellow underwings wasn't uncommon and I was almost unsympathetic when a bold blackbird nipped into our greenhouse and gobbled one. The birds here are showing signs of getting wise to my curious morning practices and I am trying to disperse the slumbering moths as carefully as I can.

The shocking Leeds incident of 9 August 2008

The Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing has an odd habit which it illustrated this morning by creeping as far as possible into an eggbox cone. It emerges in late July but then hides away for a while, like a novice monk or squire before knighthood, before emerging to play a full nocturnal life in August.


Another new arrival this morning was one I've been awaiting: the Herald, a beautiful and distinctively-shaped moth which has the distinction of appearing on the spine of my Moth Bible, so you can go an admire one in your nearest good bookshop.

Immortalised in print. In the background is my Micro-moth Bible. Both books are indispensable and Richard Lewington is a natural history artist of genius


I'm a bit late this morning, so I'll just add a few more of my overnighters. Numbers continue to be impressive and I hope to find time for a bit of good housekeeping over the weekend, to post a list of species so far this year.

Barred Yellow - pupates in flimsy cocoon amid garden debris

July Highflyer, arriving punctually

Scalloped Oak in its pastel cloak (poem)

Clouded Silver - a moth which has spread very successfully in the UK in recent years

On the micro front, Penny the Indoors Mothspotter called me over to our bathroom basin last night to get a pic of this pretty little Agapeta Hamana, top photo of the pair below.  He is the Johnny Townmouse of this duo. The Timmy Willie - second picture - was in an eggbox this morning.



Finally, a welcome though slightly blurry - sorry - return for one of the very first types of moth to arrive in the trap here after our move from Leeds. A Nut-tree Tussock. Which reminds me to go and check how our walnut tree is coming along.

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