Shandy Hall Moths
25 May 2021
24 May 2021 – After Midnight
Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) ‘Unmistakable’ is the single word that (either) Paul Waring or Martin Townsend uses to describe the Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) in the indispensable Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland (2003). Found all over the UK and on the wing (at Shandy Hall) from May through […]
16 May 2021
14 May 2021 – Little Hope
Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura plecta) Since the beginning of April the gardens at Shandy Hall have been victims of the weather. Rain, hail, sleet, snow and very hard frosts have made attempts at moth trapping a thankless task. On the very few occasions the trap has been set, the result has been ‘nothing to record’. Surely […]
8 November 2020
8 November 2020 – Suspended in Time
Pale Tussock Moth (Calliteara pudibunda) pupa The Pale Tussock Moth caterpillar continued to consume bramble leaves and rose leaves throughout October. It then wrapped itself into the shell of a rose leaf and spun itself a shelter in the form of a silken cocoon. It will overwinter in this form and is […]
19 October 2020
19 October 2020 – New Species for the Garden
Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula) Perhaps Coxwold is a micro-climate. Until yesterday there seems to have been a long succession of chilly days, damp days and general wetness (not forgetting wind), all of which are not good for moth-trapping. The light will still attract the moths, for they continue to fly despite the winds and rain, […]
1 October 2020
1 October 2020 – Hop dog
Pale Tussock Moth (Calliteara pudibunda) (larva) Now here is a fistful of spikes. This brightly coloured caterpillar was found in a cocoon of silken threads inside a rolled bramble (or blackberry) leaf. Often this tactic leads on to pupation, but in this instance it was just a case of growing out of one skin and […]
16 September 2020
16 September 2020 – Frosted Orange
Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) Not a frequent visitor to the gardens but welcome when it does put in an appearance. The first Frosted Orange was recorded on 1 October 2013 and a description of its habitat and why it carries the name of Gortyna flavago can be seen through this link Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis) […]
7 September 2020
7 September 2020 – Is this a Dagger which I see…?
Grey Dagger [larva] (Acronicta psi) Clearly visible on the leaf of an apple tree was a caterpillar of distinction. Short black hairs, a line the colour of confectioner’s custard down the back, several red stripes on the side of each segment of the body and a white line above the feet. The fourth segment of […]
2 September 2020
1 September 2020 – Naked Ladies
(Acleris variegana) For a while I thought this moth was new to the gardens. The trap had been set as an extra to the National Moth Nights as the events themselves had fallen short where numbers and species were concerned. The chilly following Monday morning didn’t promise much and a total of six moths was […]
29 August 2020
29 August 2020 – Moth Night 2020
Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) It didn’t snow. The wind lashed the acers and the rain caused the hollyhocks to lie flat, but it didn’t snow so we have something to be grateful for. Setting the trap on the first of the three evenings assigned as National Moth nights would have been pointless and last […]
21 August 2020
21 August 2020 – Uncertain Identities
Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) The first thought was ‘Lunar Underwing’ but that moth doesn’t seem to incorporate the dark triangular markings towards the wing tips; then ‘Lesser Yellow Underwing’ which I could have easily determined if I had encouraged the moth to move and display its coloured hindwings – if it had […]
9 August 2020
8 August 2020 – Sitting on the Fence
Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) The Ruby Tigers seen in the garden at Shandy Hall have all been bright red. This one could be the variant sub-species borealis with its forewings more of a woody brown. There is a pink tinge to the wings on this specimen but there is also one clearly displayed, ruby-coloured front […]
4 August 2020
4 August 2020 – Botticelli Moth
(Blastobasis adustella) Phillip Christos Zeller (1808 – 33) was a distinguished German professor and microlepidopterist. He gave names to 186 new species of moths and was the author (along with H T Stainton, Heinrich Frey and J W Douglas) of the 13-volume monograph The Natural History of the Tineina. His collection of moths is now […]
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
