Shandy Hall Moths
22 June 2012
22 June 2012 – Bugs or Bullies?
Double Square-spot, Xestia triangulum There were no new species this morning, but two were new to me. First was the Marbled Minor (Oligia strigilis). Oligia simply means ‘small’ and strigilis, (little line) refers to the black vein-like projections on its wings. The other, the Double Square-spot (Xestia triangulum), got my hopes up because I mistook […]
21 June 2012
21 June 2012 – A Wet Welcome
Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina) We welcome another new moth today, putting us at 189 identified species! I almost overlooked it because its shape and patterns seemed familiar. But thanks to Dr. Chesmore, it has been confirmed as the Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina). Anaplectoides has a complicated meaning that has evolved from the moth’s relation to […]
20 June 2012
20 June 2012 – Delightful Discoveries
The Cinnabar, Tyria jacobaeae To my dismay, a swarm of about fifteen carpet moths escaped the trap as soon as I opened the lid. My luck soon turned for the better as I discovered three new species. It was quite the eventful morning here at Shandy Hall. The easiest to spot was The Cinnabar (Tyria […]
19 June 2012
19 June 2012 – One with the Wood
Swallow Prominent, Pheosia tremula This morning we had the Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula) resting on the frame of the screened cage. The color and pattern of its wings let it blend right into the wood. Pheosia, a prickly plant or spine, refers to these patterned lines running down its wings. Tremula means shaking or trembling and […]
19 June 2012
18 June 2012 – Strangers and Summer finally arrive
The Rivulet (Perizoma affinitata) If yesterday morning’s trap wasn’t such a success, I might have been jealous of Patrick for catching an Elephant Hawk-moth in my absence this weekend. But we woke up to a beautiful sunny morning and what may be three new species to Shandy Hall. We still await confirmation, but this may […]
15 June 2012
15 June 2012 – Half the Night
The Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) Last night had heavy winds and rain, so we had to take the trap in around midnight. We missed out on some of the later-flying moths, and didn’t capture any Hawk-moths. Fortunately we still managed to capture five species for tonight’s Open Garden Scheme moth event. Some were the usual visitors, […]
14 June 2012
14 June 2012 – The Very Hairy Caterpillar
The Drinker (Euthrix potatoria) We did not set the trap yesterday as the temperature dropped again and the night was wet. Instead, we took an evening stroll in search of the dancing Ghost Moths and brought along our own Ghost Moth to release in case we found them. Although we didn’t spot any dancing moths, […]
13 June 2012
13 Jun 2012 – Shall we dance?
Silver-ground Carpet Moth I was eager to look through the trap this morning as it was the first sunny day that we trapped in the quarry. Despite the weather, there were not many moths awaiting us. I was delighted, however, to find my first Ghost Moth (Hepialus humuli). Its Latin name is almost identical to that […]
12 June 2012
11 Jun 2012 – A Colorful* Assortment
Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta concinnata) Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) This weekend we tested two new strategies and decided to continue with one but abandon the other. Please read on because we’d like to save you the trouble of repeating our mistakes. First the bad. On Friday we finally decided to start setting the trap […]
8 June 2012
7 June 2012 – A Fussy Bunch
Unidentified Pug Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata) This morning was a bit comical as the three moths I wanted to photograph were the three most energetic. The first moth, the Silver-ground Carpet (Xanthorhoe montanata), zipped out of the trap as soon as it was uncapped, leaving me to hop around the garden as it escaped my […]
6 June 2012
6 June 2012 – After the Rain
Lime Hawk-moth (Mimas tiliae) Last night was the first time we had set the trap in the rain, and I’m sure glad that we did. We had some of the usual visitors: the White Ermine (playing dead as usual), and two Common Swifts (who I decided were male and female lovers, as they were nestled […]
29 May 2012
28 May 2012 – Peach Blossom
Peach Blossom (Thyatira batis) Never having seen real peach blossom a comparison had to be made and the computer image-bank shows the description is accurate. This delicately patterned and beautifully coloured moth is unmistakeable and was recognised immediately even though this is a first appearance at Shandy Hall. Thyatira batis is the Latin name : […]
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
