Shandy Hall Moths
16 July 2014
16 July 2014 – Blackneck Moth
The Blackneck Moth (Lygephila pastinum) For a long time, Jean-Francois Millet’s painting, The Gleaners, formed my perception of the life of the countryside. In the painting, the peasant women are hunched over a wide expanse of field, picking up the remains of a harvest. Their clothes, from the brown apron to the dark-blue dress, seem […]
13 July 2014
13 July 2014 – A Moth of Contrasts
Marbled Beauty (Cryphia domestica) Yesterday we recorded a visit from the Marbled Beauty – a moth already listed but not photographed before. The moth’s scientific name, Cryphia domestica is a strange juxtaposition of words. Domestica describes everything that belongs to a house : the hearth, the fireplace, the dinner-table, the softly glowing lamp and perhaps […]
9 July 2014
9 July 2014 – New to Yorkshire
Denisia albimaculea A new species for Yorkshire – that statement has a satisfying ring to it. Thanks to Charlie Fletcher, Harry Beaumont and John Langmaid, the Yorkshire Museum Gardens can welcome a new species to the Yorkshire list. The trap was set again last night to see if there might be another specimen to be […]
7 July 2014
6 July 2014 – Small Dingy Tubic
(Borkhausenia fuscescens) Last night we had an impressive catch at Shandy Hall’s gardens – not bad after recording an impressive fifty-four species for National Moth Night the night before. This morning a Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) was seen perched on the side of the trap; a Garden Tiger (Arctia caja) displayed its high-contrast patterned wings; […]
5 July 2014
4 July 2014 – Close to the Rare
Denisia sp. This photograph of a moth has been lurking, unidentified, for a number of days. Finally, thanks to Charlie Fletcher and Harry Beaumont, it has been identified as a member of the Denisia family – but which member it is will probably have to remain a mystery. Named after a Viennese entomologist [M Denis […]
3 July 2014
3 July 2014 – Little Slender
(Calybites phasianipennella) Calybites phasianipennella is a very small moth; a very little, slender moth, which (if the scientific name is anything to go by) lives in a hut and looks like a pheasant. The cone of silk the caterpillar spins for its protection refers to the ‘hut’ (like a yurt, perhaps?), but the pheasant connection […]
2 July 2014
1 July 2014 – Shadow of the Minster
Gothic (Naenia typica) York’s skyline is dominated by the magnificent contours of York Minster. Last night, the passing shadow of the Minster left a trace inside our trap in the York Museums Garden. We discovered a Gothic moth (Naenia typica). Typica means to have a distinctive pattern. The moth’s black wings are suitably decorated with bright […]
27 June 2014
26 June 2014 – ‘These pretty moths’
Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centauriata) A strongly marked pug in the moth trap is a pug most welcome and when it is three on the trot, it becomes a celebration. Pugs are normally so difficult to identify as they all look pretty much the same and as they are also delicate and flighty – flapping away […]
25 June 2014
25 June 2014 – Fading Green
Green Oak Tortrix (Tortrix viridana) Two weeks without rain have taken away the lush, green blanket on the fields behind Shandy Hall and the tall grasses in the pasture are starting to show signs of dusty yellow. Even the mighty oak trees carry a hint of shriveled brown on their leaves. Fortunately, a flash of […]
24 June 2014
22 June 2014 – Thistle Ermine
Thistle Ermine (Myelois circumvoluta) We all learned what a vampire looks like from reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula – a pale face, gaunt and always dressed in tightly-fitting monochromatic garments. A similar description could be used for our new moth today. The Thistle Ermine (Myelosis circumvoluta) has pale white wings sprinkled with black spots. Unlike its […]
22 June 2014
21 June 2014 – Dainty Warrior
Fenland Pearl (Phylctaenia perlucidalis) There was quite a ‘moth festival’ at Shandy Hall on Friday evening. Dr Dave Chesmore was here, along with visitors from villages near and far, to examine the trap from the night before. He was quick to point out a new species amongst our catch. A Fenland Pearl (Phylctaenia perlucidalis) made its debut […]
20 June 2014
20 June 2014 – Captain Cook Connection
(Lozotaenia forsterana) The latest discovery in the garden is Lozotaenia forsterana or Large Ivy Tortrix or (according to Westwood & Humphreys [illustration below]) Forsters. The name ‘Forsters’ comes from the Polish naturalist J.R. Forster (1729-98), participant on one of Capt. Cook’s voyages. However, this moth is less exotic and eye-catching when compared to the best […]
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
