Shandy Hall Moths
22 June 2020
22 June 2020 – Moths and Beethoven
Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) At first I assumed it was a pug. I was wrong. The Single-dotted Wave (Idaea dimidiata) is the correct identification despite the fact that there are quite a number of spots on the wings of this moth. Not a new one for the garden and I see that I made the […]
18 June 2020
16 June 2020 – Platonic Harmony
Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana) Some mornings everything falls into place – other mornings are more complicated. Just as I was beginning to inspect the trap to see what was to be found, a Small Elephant Hawkmoth decided to launch itself into activity. The wing-beats of this moth are frenetic and relentless and it will […]
11 June 2020
9 June 2020 – Ah! Bistones
Peppered Moth (Biston betularia) In 1845 this image might have helped the amateur enthusiast to identify the startlingly bright, black and white moth that had been observed or trapped by light, as a Peppered Moth. Both male (fig. 11) and female (fig. 12) are shown in the drawing which comes from British Moths and their […]
2 June 2020
2 June 2020 – Tales from the Cryptic
Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) Like a small number of species of moths, the Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala) is one that seems to be attracted to light but doesn’t quite make it into the trap itself; all the more reason for putting a white sheet beneath the lamp to make sure any strays don’t disappear into the grasses. […]
31 May 2020
30 May 2020 – Trap in the Old Quarry
The Quarry Garden in May A pathway through the campions and grasses shows the location of the moth-trap. I don’t always trap in the quarry garden but it does seem to produce more micro moths than when the trap is positioned on the grass near the borders. The results from last night’s trap are below. […]
27 May 2020
26 May 2020 – New Species in the Garden
(Isotrias rectifasciana) This moth perplexed me. I didn’t think I had seen it before but no matter how carefully I compared my photograph with the drawings in the Field Guide (illustrations by Richard Lewington) and the photographs in Manley’s British Moths I couldn’t be sure of its identity. It was small with brown, speckled markings […]
21 May 2020
21 May 2020 – A Selection
Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata) Photographing moths for identification is sometimes straightforward – the moth is clinging to an egg box in the trap and when the box is taken out and laid on a table or on grass, the moth doesn’t move and can be photographed easily. Some species are even […]
17 May 2020
17 May 2020 – Return
Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) Cold night after cold night made setting the moth trap a pointless exercise – nothing was to be found. Apart from a group of Bee Moths (Aphomia sociella) emerging from a winter spent in a bee or wasp nest; and a Streamer (Anticlea derivata) sunning itself on a wall in early April, […]
27 September 2019
27 September 2019 – National Moth Night
Large Wainscot (Nonagria pilicornis) If I hadn’t turned the camouflage tent upside down this morning I would certainly have missed seeing this freshly emerged Large Wainscot drop onto the grass. At first I was sure I hadn’t seen a wainscot moth this size before but I soon discovered that it had been seen once before at Shandy […]
19 September 2019
19 September 2019 – Some of the Usual Suspects
(Agonopterix arenella) Agonopterix arenella is not an easy moth to see as it is quite small. It is also not straightforward to identify as it is similar to Agonopterix alstromeriana (uncommon) and Agonopterix yeatiana (very scarce). Agonopterix assimilella is another from the same family which is also uncommon. Agonopterix arenella has been identified once before in the […]
27 August 2019
26 August 2019 – Winnowing Fan
Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata) I had to chase this Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata) across the lawn as it had taken off from where I was planning to photograph it in search of sanctuary. Fortunately the spotted flycatchers have had their two broods and have now left for Africa otherwise there would have been one less […]
18 August 2019
18 August 2019 – Goths and Magical Numbers
Feathered Gothic (Tholera decimalis) Click on the photograph of the Feathered Gothic (Tholera decimalis) and the enlarged image will show the feathery antennae which confirm that this is a male of the species. Not an uncommon visitor to this part of Yorkshire this muddy-coloured (from the Greek tholeros) insect comes to light as an adult […]
Recent Moths
- 25 July 2023 – Collective Noun for Hawkmoths
- MOTH LIST to August 2023 with links
- 28 July 2023 – TRIPLE New Species Alert!
- 18 July 2023 – A Golden…Plusia!
- 13 July 2023 – Arts and Sciences
- 10 July 2023 – Rise of the Yellow Underwings
- 4 July 2023 – Cold-weather Catch
- 4 July 2023 – Mother of Pearl, an Inspiration to Science
- 28 June 2023 – Buff-tipped Marble
- 23 June 2023 – Moth or Butterfly?
- 20 June 2023 – Bee, Straw, Emerald and a Ghost
- 17 June 2023 – Old and New
