18 July 2013
17 July 2013 – Dusty Old Fellow.
I’ve been out traveling for the past few days to Whitby and Edinburgh, both absolutely wonderful cities. Now I’m back at Shandy Hall and logging the moths. It’s been four days since the last trapping so we may encounter some new moths if we’re lucky.
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Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) |
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Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) |
In addition to new moths we also haven’t talked about an old one. This Rustic Shoulder-knot (Apamea sordens) was caught almost a month ago, though we are still getting a few here and there in the trap. Its distinctive marker is the dark ‘shoulder-knot’ at the top of the wing. The caterpillars of the Rustic Shoulder-knot feed on grasses throughout the winter before pupating and turning into moths. Again, Apamea is a town in Asia Minor with no relevance to the moths of the genus. Sordens ‘dirty’ I think may come from the dusty tan background color of the Rustic Shoulder-knot. I do not believe the name has any relevance to the moth’s actual cleanliness.
– Post by Jane Wu
Recent Moths
- 13 July 2022 – Which is which?
- 10 July 2022 – Unusual Plume
- 29 June 2022 – Moths in Disguise
- 20 June 2022 – Headstand Moth
- 17 June 2022 – White-pinion Spotted
- 16 June 2022 – Comfrey Ermel
- 7 March 2022 – Unexpected Gathering
- 9 November 2021 – Muffled against the Cold
- 10 October 2021 – Autumnal Confusion
- 9 September 2021 – Reed Mace and Wainscots
- 25 August 2021 – Caterpillars
- Moth Night – 10 July 2021