13 June 2014

13 June 2014 – Time is Out of Joint

Autumn Green Carpet (Chloroclysta miata)

One day last Autumn I checked the Yorkshire Moths Flying Tonight website and found there were four moths that were common enough in the county to stand a fair chance of turning up in the gardens in Coxwold.  One was the Juniper Carpet (which duly arrived) and the other was the moth in the photograph above – the Autumn Green Carpet.  Had not Charlie Fletcher identified it as an overwintered adult from last year I don’t think I would have given this particular moth a second glance.  The green tinge is all that remains of a what was once a resplendent colourway and is not as noticeable in real life as it is in the image. Despite its battered and drained look, this moth has battled through the winter, the torrential rains in Spring and avoided ending up as a snack for a bat.  It is a true fighter and a most worthy addition to the list of species which now numbers 337.

Autumn Green Carpet (illustration)

The moth can be seen flying around grass stems in the illustration.