It’s been a remarkably mothy summer. Our interest in moths mainly centres on ‘clothes’ moths, detection, prevention and termination thereof. Suddenly, there are moths I’ve neither seen nor heard of before. MAGPIE MOTH. DRINKER MOTH. And now, on the hyssop last Sunday, a Delta-winged Stealth Moth. It wasn’t in our (basic) book, but a quick online search revealed it to be a Jersey Tiger Moth Euplagia quadripunctaria. UK MOTHS has this to say:
“One of the most attractive of the Tiger moths, this species was until recently restricted in distribution to the Channel Islands and parts of the south coast . On the mainland it is commonest in south Devon, but colonies have recently appeared in Dorset and the Isle of Wight, and it has also been found in other southern counties. It now seems to be expanding its range quite quickly. There is also a thriving population in parts of London, but whether this is due to range expansion or the result of accidental introduction is still unclear. It flies both in the daytime, when it can be found feeding on various flowers, as well as at night, when it is attracted to light. The main flight period is July to September. The hairy larvae feed on a range of herbaceous plants including nettle (Urtica).”
With only a basic camera to hand, I took the first photo, expecting it to fly away at once
However it kindly stayed around for a few more shots
It carried on feeding happily
It had particularly smart stripy legs…
…but I didn’t realise what this hint of orange under the wings indicated
I never got a shot of the full glory of this moth – indeed I had no idea what to expect. Courtesy of wiki, I now realise that beneath the black and white the moth was bright orange.
Putting aside thoughts of a ‘Two Ronnies’ sketch about policemen in Dorchester, the small copper referred to is a butterfly I photographed yesterday. I only had a tiny old Canon with me (hello, ‘Two Ronnies’ Church Dignitaries sketch), with its ‘battery dying’ light flashing and no charger to hand. So these pics are the best I could get in a hurry…
It’s been a remarkable late summer for butterflies and moths, with many species I have never seen / noticed before – including this little one. It’s possibly because we planted some hyssop in early May that has flourished. At any given time of day, there have been 3 or 4 butterfly species (mostly Red Admirals, Peacocks, Tortoiseshells and Whites); a couple of moth brands; 3 or 4 bumblebee types (mostly white-tailed and carders); and varied honeybees of indeterminate make. Apart from a white buddleia, we have never had a plant that has been so attractive to flying creatures. Even the flycatchers have enjoyed it.
HYSSOP, WITH VERY PRETTY SMALL BEE [ID welcomed via ‘Comments’]
SMALL COPPER BUTTERFLY
I’ve recently posted images of a moth I have never previously seen / noticed MAGPIE MOTH. Here’s another one that’s new to me – the endearingly alcohol-suggestive ‘Drinker Moth’. I thought at first it was an Oak Eggar moth, until I checked the ID. In some positions it looks more like a tiny mammal – check out those little feet (photo 2), and furry tail (photo 7)… I rescued it from inside the house and took it outside. It didn’t much care for being on a sheet of paper and dropped to the ground, where it fluttered round rather feebly. In the end I put it on a flower to avoid inadvertent underfoot tragedy.
This is an insect I had never knowingly heard of or seen until last weekend when it turned up in the kitchen. The species was once prized by collectors for its marking and colouring, apparently. They like currant and gooseberry bushes. And unwisely flying into kitchens. It’s also the first time I’ve seen or heard the word ‘Abraxas’ other than in the context of Santana’s 2nd album (1970), with its (at the time) controversial cover (Mati Klarwein’s ‘Annunciation’).
RINGLET BUTTERFLIES AT OXBURGH HALL, NORFOLK
A fine medieval, moated great house, dating from 1482 with additions – mainly Victorian – and renovations. It is now a National Trust property. There are small formal gardens, some well-planted borders with many bee- and butterfly-friendly flowers, a thriving kitchen garden, and large areas of grassland and meadow all around the house. There’ll be more from this house in due course; for now, here are some ringlets, one of several plentiful butterfly species. Apologies to the ones caught in flagrante delicto, not that they noticed…
RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLIES ON WHITE BUDDLEIA – DORSET
PEACOCK BUTTERFLIES ON WHITE BUDDLEIA – DORSET
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 