Return to moorhen home page

Return to section index


Image-of-the-Day by Subject


Moths Page 4

Image Taken on 01 Jun 2021 at 13:01    Image of day on 30 Jun 2021

Another two moments from Cinnabar Moth flights.


Ref: 20210630_da1_20210601_1301_109+1303_123 cinnabar moth 2 flight (montage)_ft1(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 09 Jun 2020 at 13:07    Image of day on 12 Jul 2020

A Cinnabar Moth with a contrasting Buttercup which helps to set the scale.


Ref: 20200712_df3_20200609_1307_081 cinnabar moth and buttercup(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 12 Jul 2020 at 10:51    Image of day on 22 Aug 2020

While lots of insects use Ragwort nectar as fuel, the Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar normally specialises in eating the poisonous Ragwort leaves that other insects can't eat. Apparently they store the poisons in their bodies to protect both the Caterpillar and the adult moth from predators. So not a Moth - YET.


Ref: 20200822_d73_20200712_1051_028 cinnabar moth caterpillar on ragwort(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 05 Aug 2013 at 15:48    Image of day on 25 Sep 2013

An unusual excess of Ragwort in our meadow brought with it an unprecedented number of Cinnabar caterpillars. Ragwort is poisonous to some mammals, but it is the only food plant of these caterpillars.


Ref: 20130925_p10_20130805_1548_889 cinnabar moth caterpillar on ragwort (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 05 Aug 2013 at 15:49    Image of day on 25 Sep 2013

An unusual excess of Ragwort in our meadow brought with it an unprecedented number of Cinnabar caterpillars. Ragwort is poisonous to some mammals, but it is the only food plant of these caterpillars.


Ref: 20130925_p10_20130805_1549_897 cinnabar moth caterpillar on ragwort (crop 2)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 14 Aug 2011 at 14:38    Image of day on 30 Sep 2011

This Cinabar this caterpillar was waving itself about. A knowledgable visitor tells us they tend to do this when they are hosting the larva of a parasitic fly.


Ref: 20110930_db1_20110814_1438_044 cinnabar moth caterpillar on ragwort leaf waving head end about (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 17 Jul 2020 at 17:41    Image of day on 22 Aug 2020

Little and Large - Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar style.


Ref: 20200822_d73_20200717_1741_003 cinnabar moth caterpillars (large and tiny) on unopened ragwort flower(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 07 Jul 2021 at 14:37    Image of day on 24 Aug 2021

The Ragwort has burst into life at several location, and the Cinnabar Moths have been busy laying the eggs to make a good 'crop' of their caterpillars.


Ref: 20210824_d73_20210707_1437_529 cinnabar moth caterpillars (various sizes) on ragwort flower buds(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 27 May 2022 at 12:36    Image of day on 05 Jul 2022

How you usually (don't) see Cinnabar moths - hiding behind and under leaves.


Ref: 20220705_df3_20220527_1236_051 cinnabar moth clinging to underside of grass blade(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 01 Jun 2021 at 13:01    Image of day on 30 Jun 2021

Photographing Cinnabar Moths has always been really difficult, but this one after an initial period of playing dead, kindly obliged with several quite decent flights past the camera.


Ref: 20210630_da1_20210601_1301_106+108+1307_143_ft1 cinnabar moth in 2 flights with buttercup (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 21 May 2010 at 10:59    Image of day on 29 Jun 2010

The first Cinnabar moth we have seen here with a striking red and black appearance that acts as a warning to birds that it tastes horrible. This one was caught in the moth trap and photographed against black, but it is also flies at dusk.


Ref: 20100629_da1_20100521_1059_225_ft1 cinnabar moth in flight (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 01 Jun 2019 at 14:21    Image of day on 13 Jul 2019

This Cinnabar Moth kept flying by us, and we couldn't resist catching it for a few photos. You don't usually see the bright red whole wing on the resting insect.


Ref: 20190713_da1_20190601_1421_001+1450_042_ft1 cinnabar moth in flight + foliage (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 07 Jul 2013 at 13:20    Image of day on 17 Aug 2013

The Cinnabar Moth is a daytime flyer and quite common as a startling red fluttering in the air. The eggs are laid on the foliage of the poisonous ragwort plant, whose flowers are seen here, with a vividly (warning) marked poisonous caterpillar.


Ref: 20130817_da1_20130707_1320_065+1329_068_ft1 cinnabar moth in flight with ragwort flowers (montage 1)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 27 May 2022 at 08:58    Image of day on 05 Jul 2022

Cinnabar Moths seem to be unusually plentiful this year.


Ref: 20220705_df3_20220527_0858_028 cinnabar moth on short grass(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 08 Jul 2021 at 15:50    Image of day on 24 Aug 2021

The Cinnabar moth Caterpillars are taking over the Oxford Ragwort!
Wikipedia tell us that:-
    Cinnabar moth from Europe was released as a biological control agent
    against common ragwort in the USA (1991), Australia (2000) and New Zealand (1990)
but apparently with limited success.
Artificial introductions vary from utter failure to complete disasters (like the Australian Cane Toad introduced in 1935 and now a 'plague').


Ref: 20210824_d73_20210708_1550_048 cinnabar moths caterpillars on oxford ragwort(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Jun 2014 at 13:49    Image of day on 28 Aug 2014

This is a clouded border moth. Here you see the bottom of the wing.


Ref: 20140828_da1_20140622_1349_178+1450_320_ft1 clouded border moth in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 12 Jun 2017 at 18:02    Image of day on 02 Aug 2017

A Clouded Border Moth, long before dark, choosing this vicious looking Blackberry stem as a convenient perch.
We photographed a Clouded Border moth in flight in 2014 as a moth-trap catch - see http://www.moorhen.me.uk/imgofday/arch 2014 aug.htm scrolling down to 28th August 2014.
The Clouded Border moth has quite high reflective patches in Ultra-violet light - see http://www.moorhen.me.uk/uv/moths_03.htm


Ref: 20170802_df3_20170612_1802_008 clouded border moth on blackberry stem(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 21 May 2010 at 10:27    Image of day on 05 Jul 2017

We last saw a Clouded Silver moth in May 2010 in a Moth-trap catch, so it must be on the wing both day and night (ID books don't state either way). The one in-flight image from 2010 was only moderately good and we didn't 'publish' it at the time, but now with a good reference image it is worth including because it shows how the antennae are tucked underneath the body in the moths resting position (as widely shown in ID book & WWW images) but are forward in flight.


Ref: 20170705_da1_20100521_1027_077_ft1 clouded silver moth (lomographa temerata) in flight (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg


Image Taken on 16 May 2017 at 14:52    Image of day on 05 Jul 2017

This pretty Clouded Silver Moth was flying along a path in the middle of the afternoon, landing in a patch of Cherry hedge where it stayed long enough to photograph it.


Ref: 20170705_df3_20170516_1452_028 clouded silver moth on cherry leaves(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 25 Aug 2019 at 09:34    Image of day on 20 Oct 2019

A Common Carpet Moth makes a couple of flights


Ref: 20191020_da1_20190825_0934_156+0935_161+1126_019_ft1 common carpet moth (epirrhoe alternata) in flight + greater willow herb flowers (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:-

Mail Us