Shandy Hall Moths
14 July 2013
14 July 2013 – “What Do You See?”
Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) Both of these Clouded Borders (Lomaspilis marginata) look like they had a bit of wing chipped off before reaching the trap. Moths are relatively hardy though and these both flew off without a problem. The Clouded Border is named so because of the dark clouds and outline of the wings. Loma ‘a […]
14 July 2013
13 July 2013 – Very Happy Micro-moths.
Lathronympha strigana A glint of orange-red before I sweep in with a collecting tube and scoop this micro-moth up. The Lathronympha strigana is perhaps one of my favorite catches so far. It a good specimen, and though it is not very noticeable in the picture, it has small silvery streaks near the back of the wing that […]
13 July 2013
12 July 2013 – Moth to Match the Weather.
Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana) The Marbled Orchard Tortrix (Hedya nubiferana) is the third type of bird dropping micro-moth I’ve seen since I’ve been here. It is very easily confused with the Plum Tortrix (Hedya pruniana), though they are differentiated by the position of two blackish dots on the wing. We’ve been getting plenty of […]
11 July 2013
11 July 2013 – Assassin of the Night.
Our next moth is a special one. It is among one of the larger moth species that is impossible to confidently identify by wing pattern alone. This moth could either be a Dark Dagger (Acronicta tridens) or a Grey Dagger (Acronicta psi), the Grey being more common in Britain than the Dark. The only way […]
10 July 2013
10 July 2013 – Oh, Those Promiscuous Moths.
We did no trap last night because I’ve taken the day to go exploring the nearby towns of Pickering and Malton. I got to visit the Beck Isle Museum, Pickering Castle, a church with some beautiful murals painted inside, and I think every single thrift shop in Malton, where I bought some nice things in […]
9 July 2013
9 July 2013 – Timothy and the Foundling Caterpillar Nursery of Shandy Hall.
I believe Helen Levins came across a Timothy Tortrix (Aphelia paleana) last year when she was here, though it was recorded as an Aphelia unitana. On reflection this is an unlikely identification as Aphelia unitana is a nationally scarce species. The coloration depicted in the main identification book that we use at Shandy Hall, the Field Guide to the Moths […]
8 July 2013
8 July 2013 – Prickly Plant Eater.
We are now the proud caretakers of three broods of newly hatched caterpillars! They are extremely small and very hard to see unless they are huddled together in a group, though they are sure to get bigger as they’ve taken to some clover now. I will be sure to post pictures once they are large […]
7 July 2013
7 July 2013 – Dwarves Among Moths.
Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula) The Middle-barred Minor (Oligia fasciuncula) is one of three Minors that have been attracted to the light trap here recently. The other two are the Marbled Minor and the Tawny Marbled Minor. The Minors, Oligia from oligos ‘small,’ are named so because of their small stature. One of these is probably a fourth of the size of […]
6 July 2013
6 July 2013 – Lovely Day And Lovely Pictures.
It’s been an absolutely wonderful day here at Shandy Hall – perfect for our event with the Jesus College, Cambridge alumni and choir today! I’ve been running around tending to the moths, but also taking pictures of the events of the day, manning the shop, and collecting sticky tack. I’ll see if we have any good […]
5 July 2013
5 July 2013 – Rare Moth With Earmuffs.
Ectoedemia decentella We got my first rare moth catch at Shandy Hall! It’s an Ectoedemia decentella. We actually had two, on June 22 and June 30, though neither Patrick nor I could find it in our books so we couldn’t identify it until we had help from one of our moth expert contacts. He confirmed the […]
4 July 2013
4 July 2013 – Those Unpatriotic Moths!
Happy 4th of July everyone! I hope my friends back in the states are celebrating. I’ve spent most of the day exploring more of England, making peach cobbler, and listening to a children’s choir sing – not particularly patriotic I know. If anything, I’m steeping myself more into British culture as of the moment. There […]
2 July 2013
3 July 2013 – Revisiting Old Friends.
The Shoulder-striped Wainscot (Mythimna comma) is an established and regular visitor to Shandy Hall. I remember going through some of Helen’s old posts and seeing pictures of them from last year, although I do not believe they were confirmed as Shoulder-striped Wainscots. I have also gone through some of the older posts and identified a few moths not […]
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
