Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Moths Page 3

Image Taken on 27 Jun 2010 at 14:53 Image of day on 10 Aug 2010

The Buff tip moth has an incredible camouflage when on wood - it looks like a broken twig end. Doesn't work so well on this leaf but you get to see it's intricacy.

Ref: 20100810_da1_20100627_1453_104_ft1 buff-tip moth hanging from hawthorn leaf (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Jun 2010 at 14:44 Image of day on 10 Aug 2010

Here in flight.

Ref: 20100810_da1_20100627_1444_076+1523_218_ft1 buff-tip moth in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 19 Jul 2014 at 13:43 Image of day on 26 Sep 2014

We caught this Buff-tip moth in our moth trap. While he warmed up we photographed him on a dead twig to show how good the camouflage is.

Ref: 20140926_p10_20140719_1343_168 buff-tip moth on twig (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Sep 2009 at 20:25 Image of day on 21 Oct 2009

And here actually feeding with the proboscis in a floret. This moth has previously been photographed after being caught in the moth trap - see the image for 12 July 2009.

Ref: 20091021_d01_20090908_2025_055 burnished brass moth feeding on yellow buddleia at night (orig)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 16 Jun 2023 at 07:30 Image of day on 12 Aug 2023

Here is a Burnished Brass Moth sitting quietly in the standard insect 'Pill-box' The camera was angled to catch the 'brass' iridescence at its maximum, but without any 'photo fiddling'.

Ref: 20230812_d71_20230616_0730_011 burnished brass moth in box(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Jun 2015 at 13:47 Image of day on 06 Aug 2015

A very common moth here is the 'Burnished Brass'.
Of the several caught in the moth trap this one would fly for us, but the shiny brass effect doesn't show well in flight. Here are 3 images from 3 flights montaged for effect. The top left image was at the top of the camera frame.

Ref: 20150806_da1_20150607_1347_190+1348_193+1349+199_ft1 burnished brass moth in flight (3 separate flights) (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Jun 2019 at 11:11 Image of day on 15 Jul 2019

This startling moth is called the Burnished Brass. The vivid gold wing patches are created by iridescence, and only show when the lighting and angles are appropriate - it is a rather drab little creature otherwise.
So we got lucky with this one!

Ref: 20190715_da1_20190602_1111_124+1158_227_ft1 burnished brass moth in flight + foliage (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 22 Jun 2014 at 13:54 Image of day on 28 Aug 2014

A regular in the Moth trap - the Burnished Brass moth.
The polished metal look only works with lighting and angles right. and rarely appears in photographs in flight. This was the only frame of the session to show some of the wing as 'burnished'.
The insect is flying upwards showing us the top of the wing.

Ref: 20140828_da1_20140622_1354_188+1334_133_ft1 burnished brass moth in flight with privet leaves (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 15 Jun 2023 at 14:10 Image of day on 12 Aug 2023

Here the Burnished Brass Moth is flying upside down - we often see images of insects flying inverted.
To small insects the viscosity of air must be a bit like Humans in water - the sense of up and down becomes blurred.

Ref: 20230812_da1_20230615_1410_176+1331_046_ft1 burnished brass moth in inverted flight with blackberry leaf (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 16 Jun 2023 at 07:31 Image of day on 12 Aug 2023

Upon release the Burnished Brass Moth chose a bit of stem lying of the ground. Here the shiny areas are just a dull green, the same appearance as seen in many ID books.
Why would anybody call it 'Burnished Brass'?

Ref: 20230812_d71_20230616_0731_013 burnished brass moth on ground detritus(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Jun 2009 at 13:48 Image of day on 12 Jul 2009

Burnished Brass moths are quite small but really beautiful when the light catches the 'burnished' areas properly.

Ref: 20090712_da1_20090614_1348_394 ft1 burnished brass moth on hawthorn twig (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 15 Jun 2023 at 14:08 Image of day on 12 Aug 2023

The Burnished Brass Moth has patches of iridescent scales that really do shine brightly when the light and viewer angles are appropriate. Here we got lucky in-flight.

Ref: 20230812_da1_20230615_1408_164+1331_044_ft1 burnished brass moth with blackberry buds (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Sep 2009 at 20:18 Image of day on 21 Oct 2009

We have lived here for 19 years, and enjoyed our yellow buddleia and its visitors by day. Out on a fruitless bat foray on a very mild evening we discovered that it also has a 'night shift'. This is a couple of images of the burnished Brass moth. The first is in flight and shows a partially coiled proboscis

Ref: 20091021_d01_20090908_2018_035 burnished brass moth with proboscis half curled flying to yellow buddleia (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 28 Aug 2017 at 11:18 Image of day on 13 Oct 2017

The overnight moth trap caught several of these Thorn Moths - we think the Canary-shouldered variety. Here is an interpretation of a series of separate flights.

Ref: 20171013_da1_20170828_1118_010-1127_032_ft1 canary-shouldered (q) thorn moth 4 flights & on box (impression montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 11 Aug 2013 at 11:02 Image of day on 02 Oct 2013

This vivid Canary-shouldered Thorn moth is - well - just beautiful.
Not a single flight but an impression

Ref: 20131002_da1_20130811_1102_110+1058_086_ft1 canary-shouldered thorn moth on hawthorn and in flight (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 01 May 2011 at 15:25 Image of day on 30 May 2011

This Chocolate-tip moth is a new sighting for us, but was a reluctant flier.

Ref: 20110530_da1_20110501_1525_189_ft1 chocolate-tip moth (clostera curtula) in flight (rotated crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 01 May 2011 at 16:03 Image of day on 30 May 2011

So here he is so he looks like the photo in the ID book!

Ref: 20110530_da1_20110501_1603_303_ft1 chocolate-tip moth (clostera curtula) on hawthorn twig (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Jun 2018 at 15:13 Image of day on 12 Aug 2018

A Cinnabar Moth showing us the gloriously coloured top of the rear wings that make the insect so striking when it is in flight.

Ref: 20180812_df3_20180626_1513_022 cinnabar moth(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 May 2017 at 11:47 Image of day on 20 Jul 2017

The striking Cinnabar Moth makes a great splash of colour.
The only other UK insect we know of with these colours (but different pattern) are the Burnet Moth family.

Ref: 20170720_da1_20170527_1147_191+1323_194_ft1 cinnabar moth + hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Jul 2020 at 12:40 Image of day on 22 Aug 2020

Here are a couple of views of the Cinnabar Moth which, with a bit of luck, the caterpillars will become.

Ref: 20200822_df3_20200717_1240_177+1244_226 cinnabar moth 1+3 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Backwards

Forwards

Comments and requests for image use

To make a comment, ask for information or to request a full resolution image, send us an email including the reference or the date for the image you are interested in.

All initial contacts should be made using the icon below:-