Shandy Hall Moths
26 July 2016
26 July 2016 – Moths and Yoga
Northern Spinach (Eulithis populata) The trap on 21 July also contained a Northern Spinach (Eulithis populata). ‘Eulithos’, of goodly stone, highlights the ground color resembling sandstone. This moth is highly variable and our sample represents one of the lighter ones. Slender cross-lines come in at one-half and two-thirds, with the outer one dipping twice to […]
25 July 2016
25 July 2016 – Arrowheads and Spears
(Evergestis pallidata) Our next showstopper is the Evergestis pallidata, one of the bigger micros with astonishing markings. Shaped like a bulgy arrowhead, the creamy colored moth is fashioned with “hieroglyphs” in thin black lines, recalling for me the benzene rings I used to draw in organic chemistry. The termen is sharply delineated; an oblique and […]
22 July 2016
22 July 2016 – Bulrush Nibbler
Limnaecia phragmitella ‘It’s an upside-down Flame!’ was my first reaction to this moth, though in truth the two are nothing alike. Swayed by the four apple-seed-looking dots in a line and the pale tip with evenly spaced black streaks, I went straight to the Gelechiidae family, but realized that none of their dots had the […]
21 July 2016
21 July 2016 – Very Small
Elachista atricomella A trap earlier this week welcomed a new wave of moths, many of which I was seeing for the first time: Swallow-tailed Moth, Small Fan-footed Wave, a plume moth yet to be verified, a Parornix sp., and a new species confirmed by Dave Chesmore: Elachista atricomella. Inconspicuous as it is, we still managed […]
20 July 2016
20 July 2016 – Chalky White Moths
Gypsonoma dealbana Tuesday’s moth trap was sizeable in number as well as species, a few of which caught my attention immediately. Gypsonoma dealbana, is unlike any other ‘bird-dropping moth’ we’ve had so far (e.g. H. pruniana, H. nubiferana) in that it has a more extensive white patch that clothes about two-thirds of the moth. It […]
18 July 2016
18 July 2016 – Moth Like a Butterfly
Latticed Heath (Chiasmia clathrata) When you have an uneventful trap, like the one we had on 15 July, all you need is a moth like the Latticed Heath (Chiasmia clathrata, synonym: Semiothisa clathrata) to brighten things up. As its name suggests, the inky bands on its wings crosshatch to form a loose web. This impressive […]
17 July 2016
17 July 2016 – Wings and Shears
Donacaula forficella A busy trap on 11 July yielded a total of 58 species. At least two new species were recorded, including one that had only been recorded twice in our part of North Yorkshire (VC62) previously. A couple are still awaiting confirmation so stay tuned for more possible new ones! Pictured above is the […]
15 July 2016
15 July 2016 – Gothic in Dead of Night
Gothic (Naeina typica) Today we had a visit from a Gothic (Naenia typica), which brought all the medieval terms to mind as I tried to pin down what it is exactly about this moth that makes it “Gothic”. The left tower of Notre Dame de Chartres appears before me with its soaring spire and jewel-box-like […]
11 July 2016
11 July 2016 – Spot the Difference
(Eudonia mercurella) Last Thursday we had one of the most productive traps since I arrived. An impressive 45 species including Clay, Agapeta hamana, Aethes rubiferana, Dark Arches, Green Pug, and the majestic Garden Tiger were captured. This made a stark contrast to the night before, where the only notable finding was a Purple Clay. A […]
8 July 2016
7 July 2016 – Painter’s Palette
Barred Yellow (Cidaria fulvata) Today’s trap looked like a painter’s palette. A stunning 38 species responded to the call of warm weather and perched, seemingly content, on the egg boxes in the trap. Once again, Ermines, Minors, Golden and Silver Y’s, Heart and Dart, and Silver-ground Carpet proved themselves to be regular visitors. Catching up […]
5 July 2016
4 July 2016 – National Moth Scheme
Dave Chesmore identifying moths “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” So I was told by Dave Chesmore, who kindly showed up on National Garden Scheme Day to help us identify moths caught the previous night. It was a perfect description of the schizophrenic shuffle between pouring rain and blinding sun we have […]
30 June 2016
30 June 2016 – Eggs Hatch
Commom Marbled Carpet caterpillars on clover. What is known about the Common Marbled Carpet? The guides inform that the moth has two generations, May-June and late August-early October. It visits the flowers of Ivy and over-ripe blackberries. When the eggs are laid we now know that they hatch after 23 days and the emerging caterpillars […]
Recent Moths
- Rise of the AI Naturalist
- Best Moths for a Haunted Abbey
- The Real and Fake Deaths of Moths
- The Colonizers of Yorkshire
- Glamour in the Dark: Two Newcomers Arrive at Shandy Hall
- 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
