Shandy Hall Moths
19 June 2022
16 June 2022 – Comfrey Ermel
Comfrey Ermel (Ethmia quadrillella) A micro moth which looks like a longhorn cow with its black and white spots and long antennae! This little beauty is an Ethmia quadrillella, sometimes known as the Comfrey Ermel. It is found on the eastern side of England and is local in the British Isles. However, it is present […]
7 March 2022
7 March 2022 – Unexpected Gathering
Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) ‘Too early for moths’ is not an expression that can be applied to these creatures. Throughout the winter months many species find the conditions perfectly acceptable – notwithstanding the winds, gales and other tempests that cause such disruption. This morning I came upon five moths clinging to the kitchen […]
10 November 2021
9 November 2021 – Muffled against the Cold
December Moth (Poecilocampa populi) A reliable arrival, as soon as the weather begins to turn, is the December Moth. Muffled against the cold it is able to survive despite the overnight frosts of November. The scientific name makes reference to the larva (kampe in Greek) and its appearance, which is ‘varied’ (poekilos); […]
10 October 2021
10 October 2021 – Autumnal Confusion
Northern Winter Moth (Operophtera fagata) Is it a Northern Winter Moth or is it a Winter Moth? Or is it a November Moth? Or perhaps a Pale November Moth? I could try searching for the wingless female (of whichever species it is) in the dark tonight and that might help with identification. I did catch […]
9 September 2021
9 September 2021 – Reed Mace and Wainscots
Bulrush Wainscot (Nonagria typhae) A surprise in the trap this morning, a very welcome surprise. The dominant species flying that night was immediately apparent – Setaceous Hebrew Characters (Xestia c-negrum) were clinging to every surface with dozens of crane flies for company. A Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomos alniaria) and a few Brimstone Moths (Oposthograptis lutolata) […]
25 August 2021
25 August 2021 – Caterpillars
Caterpillar This brightly coloured caterpillar was seen marching on the surface of a jacket that had been worn in the rose bed. The only plants in that area of the garden are (obviously) roses and a few ferns. I wanted to put the scrap of life back in an environment that suited it but couldn’t […]
14 July 2021
Moth Night – 10 July 2021
Small Yellow Wave (Hydrelia flammeolaria) Only one of the three evenings designated for National Moth Night was really suitable for trapping but that one gave a good cross-section of species. A newcomer to moth-trapping (like ten year old Thomas was) saw moths that displayed a wide variety of forms, colours and patterns. The Small Yellow […]
2 July 2021
2 July 2021 – The Prettiest Moth
Clouded Border (Lomaspilis marginata) This is possibly the prettiest moth I have seen in a long time and only the second to be seen at Shandy Hall. One of the UPenn students recorded it in the moth trap a few years ago, but it wasn’t quite as fresh as this one which was newly minted. […]
14 June 2021
12 June 2021 – Yorkshire Larvae Crawling Tonight
Mullein (Shargacucullia verbasci) There are two Mulleins in the photograph, one is the caterpillar and the other is the plant. The Mullein (insect) is not recorded as a Mullein Moth – like the Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli) or the Goat Moth (Cossus cossus) it is just Mullein; the food source is not described as […]
8 June 2021
6 June 2021 – A Show of Strength
Chinese Character (Cilix glaucata) A member of the Drepanidae family of which there are nine species in the UK and eight of which are Hook-tips. This ‘odd one out’ is unmistakeable; once it has been determined that it is a moth and not a bird-dropping. When at rest the wings form a tent shape over […]
2 June 2021
1 June 2021 – One Extra Moth
Pale Tussock (Calliteara pudibunda) Since 8 November 2020 the Pale Tussock pupa has remained, apparently motionless, in a silken cocoon within a plastic container. It was checked regularly to see if any changes might be visible but the metamorphosis that was taking place was hidden from view. The cocoon had been spun by the caterpillar […]
29 May 2021
29 May 2021 – Mercury’s Staff
Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata) Carl A Clerck (1710 – 1765) was a contemporary of Linnaeus and made a considerable contribution to the world of entomology. The naming and classifictation of spiders was the main area of his attention and his name is attributed to the second part of the binomial of this rather handsome […]
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
