It was 24th July that I overcame my squeamishness about moths, it wasn’t so much a phobia, just a bit of a fluttering anxiety. Anyway, having been trapping for a good proportion of the time since, I’ve seen some quite startling diversity, which I don’t feel I even knew existed in the world of lepidoptera. As, I’ve mentioned before, there are about 2500 species of moth in the UK, there are also migrants, abberations and other anomalies.
Here are a few of my favourites so far:
Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria) – Spotted near the trap on the night of 26th July 2018. On the trap, but in it by morning.Canary-shouldered Thorn (Ennomus alniaria) – 29 July 2018Feathered Gothic (Tholera decimalis) – Very bronzed and glamorous moth turned up night of 2 Sep 2018, popped it in the trap to photograph again in the morning.Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria) Second generation female – In the trap, morning of 2 Sep 2018. At first, I thought it was the Angle Shades somehow rolled up on itself until I put my specs on and could see him (it’s a male) properly.Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) – Was near trap night of 1 Sep 2018, I nudged in, still there in the morning to photograph on this lichen-covered stick.Small Blood-vein (Scopula imitaria) – Morning of 31 Aug 2018. Very few specimens in the trap this morning, but I thought this was just a small Blood Vein, it’s not it’s a Small Blood-vein, new to me.Light Emerald (Campaea margaritaria) – Morning 28 August 2018. Geometridae » EnnominaeOrange Swift (Triodia sylvina) – A first 13th August 2018. Brightly coloured specimen so, a male, the female is a lot paler. Member of the Hepialidae of which there are only five members in the UK.
