Shandy Hall Moths
19 January 2013
19 January 2013 – Overwintering differently
Snow has fallen all over the country and next year’s life is locked with ice. The upper surfaces of the apple tree branches have a thick covering of flakes but the undersides are sheltered and will remain so. Another place to overwinter, but as a pupa not as a caterpillar. Can you see it? A silk thread has been attached to the bark […]
8 January 2013
7 January 2013 – Overwintering
This is what the caterpillars are doing – overwintering. In November they started to spin cocoons in the corners of the plastic container, one by one. A couple of others decided a leaf was more to their liking and the silken threads anchored the leaf to the bottom of the container. At first I thought […]
16 November 2012
15 November 2012 – Arriving with the Frost
Blair’s Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri) Last night’s hunt for a flightless female moth was unsuccessful but viewing tree-trunks by torchlight was a significant compensation as extraordinary habitats were revealed. Wood lice, slugs, harvestmen, flies, spiders and millipedes were to be seen crawling over the trunks in large numbers on the mild autumn evening. However, on searching the trap, very little evidence of the moth-world was to […]
15 November 2012
14 November 2012 – † – The Case of the Printer’s Dagger
Mottled Umber (Erannis defoliaria) Last night was relatively warm, a new moon and somewhat overcast – the combination of such benevolent ingredients produced four new species to Shandy Hall, but three were nearly overlooked. The first was Erannis defoliaria (Mottled Umber) and a striking moth it is. There were two in the trap, one slightly larger and […]
6 November 2012
5 November 2012 – A month early…
December Moth (Poecilocampa populi) The frost was thick this morning and the chances of finding anything in the trap seemed remote. On first inspection there was nothing but then, on the white sheet that the trap is placed upon, two mothy shapes could be seen. Both looked the same species but one not seen at Shandy […]
20 October 2012
19 October 2012 – Kaleidoscope of Colours
Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta) Red-line Quaker (Agrochola lota) has wings the colour of rain-washed slate, which is an appropriate description as the Latin lota means ‘washed’ referring to the way the pattern on the wings merges the colours together. The markings that give the moth its common name – the red […]
8 October 2012
7 October 2012 – Growing
Yellow-tail (Euproctis similis)? The caterpillars continue to grow and their identity remains uncertain. When the eggs were laid they were covered with hairs – which is a characteristic of the Lymantriidae family. The hairs were brown, not yellow, but the larvae seem to look more like the Yellow-tail than the Brown-tail. The orange colour is really very bright […]
3 October 2012
1 October 2012 – Poor Jenny Wren
Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae ab capucina) The Green-brindled Crescent has flown this way before but only in its ‘typical’ form, with metallic shards of green decorating the fore-wing. This plainer, browner version (ab capucina) takes its name from the Latin ‘cappa’ meaning a cap. The French word ‘capuce’ – a pointed hood or cowl gave the […]
2 October 2012
26 September 2012 – In Search of Nectar
A day-flying moth in search of nectar is caught on camera by Elinor. Can you see the Y shape on the forewing? That means it’s either the Silver Y (Autographa gamma) or the Scarce Silver Y (Syngrapha interrogationis) but most probably the former as that species flies well into Autumn. There were two or three busily feeding on […]
24 September 2012
21 September 2012 – Moths at the Equinox
Ypsolopha sequella This is a perky, inquisitive moth. It seems particularly purposeful. The antennae wave gently through the air in an exploratory fashion while the tiny head moves from left to right as if possibilities are being considered and alternatives appraised. However, it was difficult to photograph. Every time the camera was ready the moth decided to change […]
23 September 2012
20 September 2012 – The Black Moth
Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) This dark, glossy beauty was nearly missed on Wednesday night. The black plastic of the trap was the perfect background for a stealthy hiding place. The antennae of the male and female are not feathered – but the hindwings of the male are a pale colour. I didn’t learn this until after the moth was […]
20 September 2012
19 September 2012 – Beneath the Silvery Moon
Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) With its pattern of raised bands looking as tight as guitar strings, and the diagnostic stain (omphalos) or spot on the forewing, the Lunar Underwing makes its first recorded appearance in the garden. Its defence mechanism is to appear emphatically dead – so apparently lifeless it could be gently rolled out of the egg carton and onto a woven surface […]
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
