Shandy Hall Moths
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 […]
18 July 2020
17 July 2020 – Charles Bonnet and the Homunculus
(Argyresthia bonnetella) A moth with a connection to Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy? Odd but delightfully true. If the scientific name, Argyrthesia bonnetella, is examined, its sources can be identified. Arguros is the word for silver and esthes translates as dress. The two words combined refer to the metallic sheen on the moth’s wings. Bonnetella is […]
13 July 2020
13 July 2020 – Changed Identities
Small Fan-footed Wave (Idaea biselata) The weather continues to complicate matters. Last night the temperature dropped following a sunny, almost hot, day and the number of moths in the trap reflects the chilly flying conditions. On the floor of the ‘arcade’ in the garden there is evidence of some moth activity. One spot in the […]
8 July 2020
7 July 2020 – Black and White
Peppered Moth (Biston insularia) All the Peppered Moths I have seen in the gardens at Shandy Hall have been the whiter versions of the species – until now. Here is Biston insularia (‘insular’ meaning : pertaining to an island) which is halfway between Biston betularia and B. carbonaria. This intermediate member of the species is […]
29 June 2020
28 June 2020 – Post Script
Beautiful Snout (Hypena crassilis) I hoped there might be another Beautiful Snout in the trap and there was – still not in perfect condition but much better than the first. The velvety, chocolate-coloured wing markings were clear and the little distinctive lines on the wing-tips easily seen. I have looked out for bilberry bushes (the […]
25 June 2020
24 June 2020 – From Kent to Yorkshire
Beautiful Snout (Hypena crassalis) I knew I hadn’t seen this moth before but it was a rather worn little creature and to begin with I didn’t pay it much attention. The orange mark just behind the head is not a feature that might aid identification, it is where tufts of hair would normally cover the […]
Recent Moths
- 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
- 4 July 2023 – Mother of Pearl, an Inspiration to Science
- 28 June 2023 – Buff-tipped Marble
- 23 June 2023 – Moth or Butterfly?
- 20 June 2023 – Bee, Straw, Emerald and a Ghost
- 17 June 2023 – Old and New
