16 May 2014

15 May 2014 – Three Rivulets Side by Side

Small Rivulet (Perizoma alchemillata)

The warmer weather and the prospect of moth activity was promising.  I awoke at 4.15am and hearing the dawn chorus, decided to switch off the mercury vapour light and see what was in the trap.  The spotted fly-catcher, the robin and the wren are all wise to the fact that a moth-light means food and I wanted to disrupt their expectations.  No new species but a couple of Sandy Carpets, a Green Carpet, a Scorched Wing, Chinese Character, Double-striped Pugs and finally a Small Rivulet (Perizoma alchemillata) which has been recorded but not photographed until now.  The image doesn’t do the moth justice as it is a dainty insect with lovely markings.  The Latin name means : the girdle (peri); round the body (zoma)  that these markings make to resemble a belt when the wings are folded; alchemillata refers to the lady’s-mantle plant – which is not the food plant so that is rather strange.  

Tomorrow the trap will be in the Yorkshire Museum gardens – an experiment underway.

Three Rivulets – illustration

The illustration shows : Rivulet (13), Small Rivulet (15) and Barred Rivulet (21).  

Walt Whitman writes :

Two rivulets side by side,

Two blended, parallel, strolling tides, 

Companions, travelers, gossiping as they journey.

No real connection but read the rest of the poem – nothing like a good digression.