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Moths Page 6

Image Taken on 14 Jun 2009 at 11:40    Image of day on 13 Jul 2009

And here in flight. The clover head will give you more idea of their large size.


Ref: 20090713_da1_20090614_1140_176+1449_498 ft1 elephant hawk-moth in flight with clover (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 24 Jun 2001 at 09:43    Image of day on 16 Jun 2008

7 years ago (24 June 2001) we photographed the same species in flight using a electronically triggered camera and flash. Its a genuine single image of a rather tatty individual, though the 'sky' was a painted backboard.


Ref: 20080616_d30_20010624_0943_696 elephant hawk-moth in flight with honeysuckle (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 14 Jul 2013 at 13:50    Image of day on 01 Sep 2013

This startlingly coloured Elephant Hawk-moth obliged with this nice portrait hanging from the end of a hawthorn twig.


Ref: 20130901_da1_20130714_1350_186_ft1 elephant hawk-moth on hawthorn (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 14 Jun 2009 at 11:28    Image of day on 13 Jul 2009

The Moth trap caught 5 of these wonderful 'Elephant Hawk-Moths'. We haven't touched up the colour - this is what they are like.


Ref: 20090713_da1_20090614_1128_118 ft1 elephant hawk-moth on honeysuckle flower (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 29 Jun 2019 at 10:28    Image of day on 19 Aug 2019

A better idea of the scale - this individual is nearly 'perfect'.


Ref: 20190819_da1_20190629_1028_069_ft1 elephant hawk-moth perched on hand(r+mb id@432).jpg


Image Taken on 09 Jun 2008 at 11:26    Image of day on 16 Jun 2008

The Moth trap (see yesterday) also caught a Elephant Hawk-moth with its incredible shocking pink colouration


Ref: 20080616_dc1_20080609_1126_067 elephant hawk-moth side view on oxeye daisy stem with buttercups backdrop (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 31 May 2022 at 10:15    Image of day on 08 Jul 2022

The Saga of the Spindle Ermine Moth seems to be nearing it's end. Under a leaf we find this 100 or so in a clump.


Ref: 20220708_d72_20220531_1015_039 ermine moth caterpillars clustered under leaf(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 31 May 2022 at 10:16    Image of day on 08 Jul 2022

A metre away we find dozens more clinging to this vertical thread.
This has been an exceptional year for these moths. The adults are said to be about from June to September, so we hope they provide good feeding for the new crop of birds building up their bodies ready for Winter.
And the moths are rather pretty as well!



Ref: 20220708_d72_20220531_1016_040 ermine moth caterpillars hanging on vertical silk thread(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 04 Jun 2010 at 14:17    Image of day on 19 Jul 2010

in flight from the top it's another story altogether! The eye spots do not show when the insect is at rest.


Ref: 20100719_da1_20100604_1417_040_ft1 eyed hawk-moth in flight (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 17 Jun 2023 at 13:59    Image of day on 13 Aug 2023

The Eyed Hawk-moth was a bit reluctant to fly for us, but we got a few frames which actually had a moth in them.
Here is a montage of two flights, the right image shows the underside of the moth, and the left the top of the moth (with the eyes) because the moth is flying inverted.


Ref: 20230813_da1_20230617_1359_236+1433_401_ft1 eyed hawk-moth in flight - both sides of eye spots (montage in inverted & normal flight)(r+mb id@768).jpg


Image Taken on 04 Jun 2010 at 14:19    Image of day on 19 Jul 2010

An Eyed hawk moth photographed in flight viewed from underneath with some attractive but unspectacular markings.


Ref: 20100719_da1_20100604_1419_058+1558_321_ft1 eyed hawk-moth in flight with thistle leaf (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 04 Jun 2010 at 14:34    Image of day on 19 Jul 2010

And how you might normally see him - the feathered antenna identify him as a male.


Ref: 20100719_df1_20100604_1434_065 eyed hawk-moth on thistle (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 17 Jun 2023 at 13:49    Image of day on 13 Aug 2023

Our 'won't fly for us' Poplar Hawk Moths have been supplemented by 2 or 3 Eyed Hawk-moths. Here you see the trick appearance of the 'eyes' used to frighten off an attacker.


Ref: 20230813_da1_20230617_1349_180+1435_430_ft1 eyed hawk-moth perched on box with eye-spots hidden and then exposed (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 29 Oct 2009 at 09:26    Image of day on 30 Nov 2009

You can here see the male antennae more clearly in a static image taken on blue card. Some references say that the antennae can detect the female pheromone from possibly a single molecule.


Ref: 20091130_da1_20091029_0926_087_ft1 feathered thorn moth male id on pale blue card showing antennae (detail web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 29 Oct 2009 at 09:03    Image of day on 30 Nov 2009

Probably the last outing for the moth-trap this year only collected some 50 insects but some were new species for us. This is a male 'Feathered Thorn Moth'.


Ref: 20091130_da1_20091029_0903_013+1044_329_ft1 feathered thorn moth male in flight with blackthorn (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 11 Sep 2020 at 12:29    Image of day on 28 Oct 2020

More used to finding Garden Carpet Moths in the moth trap, here is one on a Blackberry leaf at midday, albeit in the shade.


Ref: 20201028_df3_20200911_1229_013 garden carpet moth on blackberry leaf(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 13 Jul 2016 at 12:45    Image of day on 27 Aug 2016

Deep in a pond-side tree a Great tit has captured this moth we can't ID. It is too big to swallow whole, so here it is dismembering it to swallow the bits.


Ref: 20160827_d5c_20160713_1245_009 great tit dismembering a moth to eat it 2 of 3 (crop 1)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 17 May 2022 at 15:40    Image of day on 25 Jun 2022

This Green Carpet moth landed inside a bush. The green colour of the insect soon becomes bleached - this is the greenest one we have ever seen, though this might be enhanced by light being tinged by the surrounding foliage.


Ref: 20220625_df3_20220517_1540_086 green carpet moth(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 22 Aug 2015 at 10:46    Image of day on 20 Oct 2015

This tiny (1.3cm long) very attractive Green Carpet Moth on our screen appears 3 or 4 times life size!


Ref: 20151020_da1_20150822_1046_116_ft1 green carpet moth (13mm) moth in box (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg


Image Taken on 01 Jun 2021 at 07:06    Image of day on 29 Jun 2021

Green Carpet Moths fade from green quite quickly - this one grey. It is photographed against the black plastic of the moth trap it was caught in.


Ref: 20210629_p10_20210601_0706_412 green carpet moth (colostygia pectinataria) faded to grey on moth-trap wall(r+mb id@432).jpg


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