25 June 2013

25 June 2013 – A Speck of Gold.

A quick glimmer of gold was all I saw before catching this micro-moth in a tube for safekeeping. The Argyresthia trifasciata was quite a perky fellow and upon letting it out perched happily atop my right index finger while I attempted to one-handedly (my left hand too – the wrong hand for the camera) take a picture of it. As soon as I had turned my head to look in another direction I lost it, though I quickly found it again thanks to its distinctive metallic glint, from which it gets its genus name – arguros meaning ‘silver’ and esthes ‘dress.’ Good thing too. I would have been terribly upset if someone had accidentally stepped on it. Tri– ‘three’ and fascia ‘a band’ simply mark the tell-tale three white bands on the forewings. Argyresthia trifasciata makes moth number 266 at Shandy Hall.

Argyresthia trifasciata

– Post by Jane Wu