Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Moths Page 7

Image Taken on 01 Jun 2021 at 13:49 Image of day on 29 Jun 2021

A younger 'greener' individual provided these moments a Green Carpet moth in flight.

Ref: 20210629_da1_20210601_1349_263-264+1524_417_ft1 green carpet moth in flight with green alkanet flower (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 23 May 2012 at 13:54 Image of day on 19 Jun 2012

The green upon the upper wing of this Green Carpet moth is more noticeable when the insects is 'perched', and fades over the few weeks of it's life

Ref: 20120619_da1_20120523_1354_128+1504_197_ft1 green carpet moth in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 21 May 2010 at 10:06 Image of day on 28 Jun 2010

Caught on moth trap this Green Carpet Moth shows the flexibility of it's wings as it powers along.

Ref: 20100628_da1_20100521_1006_026+1142_357_ft1 green carpet moth in flight with red campion flowers (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Jun 2019 at 11:19 Image of day on 14 Jul 2019

This Moth was a delightful 'first' for us - a Green Silver-lines Moth, here in his box warming up for his turn in the spotlight.

Ref: 20190714_da1_20190602_1119_142_ft1 green silver-lines moth in box (1st record here)(r+mb id@432).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Jun 2019 at 11:20 Image of day on 14 Jul 2019

The Green Silver-lines Moth performed nicely in flight - this is two of the flights.

Ref: 20190714_da1_20190602_1120_146+150+1159_237_ft1 green silver-lines moth in flight (1st record here) + blackberry stem (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 12 Oct 2008 at 14:42 Image of day on 27 Oct 2008

We put the moth trap out on a misty moonlit night (neither good for catching moths). Something gave the trap a thump in the night and partly knocked the top off, but there were still about 100 moths inside of which this rather attractive iridescent creature took our fancy.

Ref: 20081027_d12_20081012_1442_060 green-brindled crescent (allophyes oxyacanthae) (rgb) (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Sep 2009 at 16:13 Image of day on 29 Oct 2009

This side view shows it chewing successive arcs out of the leaf.

Ref: 20091029_p34_20090927_1613_332 grey dagger moth caterpillar eating blackthorn leaf(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Sep 2009 at 13:53 Image of day on 29 Oct 2009

This beauty was on the top of a 1.5m high hedge. The moth that will emerge is a rather drab affair in shades of grey that we don't seem ever to have photographed. The 2 bumps and strange angle are quite normal according to 'the book'.

Ref: 20091029_p34_20090927_1353_304 grey dagger moth caterpillar on blackthorn (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Aug 2012 at 13:00 Image of day on 13 Sep 2012

Of a few hundred moths in the moth trap this moth called 'The Herald' stood out for its orange markings, and flew fairly well. This ivy flower is not open, but it is their 'summer' food - Willows and Poplars in the Spring.

Ref: 20120913_da1_20120809_1300_027+1314_041_ft1 the herald moth in flight with ivy leaves and opening flower (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Sep 2006 at 01:05 Image of day on 15 Sep 2006

An old friend from our early (early 1970s) moth watching days is this Large Yellow underwing Moth. Never could get them to fly down our flight-tunnel to take their own photos, and here we get an interesting image without trying.

Ref: 20060915_d3e_20060907_0105_059 fb1 large yellow underwing moth in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Aug 2015 at 10:50 Image of day on 02 Oct 2015

The Large Yellow Underwing Moth is a regular visitor but usually a reluctant flyer. But this one made a few flights for us & here we montage moments from 2 flights.

Ref: 20151002_da1_20150802_1050_079+1051_085_ft1 large yellow underwing moth in flight (montage of 2 flights)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 29 Sep 2011 at 14:28 Image of day on 22 Nov 2011

The underwing class of moths go in for cryptic camouflage on the forewing, and the startle effect with an orange hindwing only showing as defence and in flight. This is two views of separate flights of a single insect to show predominantly the upper (left) and bottom wing surfaces.

Ref: 20111122_da1_20110929_1428_169+1429_172_ft1 large yellow underwing moth in flight (montage separate flights)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 18 Aug 2009 at 10:15 Image of day on 27 Sep 2009

Although we know what many moths are at first glance many look so like wood bark with wings closed we don't know what it is until later. So the orange wings often generate the same surprise for us on their first flight as it has evolved to do to predators.

Ref: 20090927_da1_20090818_1015_269+1032_283_ft1 large yellow underwing moth in flight bottom with rough hawks-beard flower (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 31 Aug 2009 at 15:07 Image of day on 18 Oct 2009

This moth was trapped in the conservatory & we took some portraits before letting it go. The plant is Lemon Balm (not listed as a native wild flower in the UK) but grows rampantly in the herb patch and smells and tastes smashing.

Ref: 20091018_da1_20090831_1507_061+1514_071_ft1 large yellow underwing moth in flight with lemon balm (melissa officinalis) (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Jun 2019 at 11:36 Image of day on 15 Jul 2019

Here is the Lempkes Gold Spot Moth, in the same family as the Burnished Brass.
After a few minutes of trying unsuccessfully to get an image in flight, we put her on a bit of white card for this photo. This moth gold spots are iridescent like the Burnished Brass, but the white spots are not lighting dependent and must be some sort of reflective white pigmented scales which really outshine the white card at all angles.
As usual, the moment you release them outdoors they fly blithely away.

Ref: 20190715_p10_20190602_1136_345 lempkes gold spot moth (plusia putnami) (1st sighting here) (orig)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 18 Aug 2012 at 21:37 Image of day on 07 Oct 2012

This Lesser Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing is a new moth for us - it will have a bright underwing that flashes in flight, but we never got to see it

Ref: 20121007_db1_20120818_2137_022 lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing on yellow buddleia (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Aug 2019 at 09:43 Image of day on 20 Oct 2019

This Lesser Swallow Prominent Moth was a reluctant flyer, but is such an stunning woodland stick mimic we had to show you.

Ref: 20191020_da1_20190825_0943_193+1941_177_ft1 lesser swallow prominent moth (pheosia gnoma) on box & in flight (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Aug 2019 at 09:01 Image of day on 18 Oct 2019

This is a Lesser Yellow Underwing Moth who flew quite well for us. We have assembled 3 separate flights into this interpretation.

Ref: 20191018_da1_20190825_0901_035+0855_011+0904_047_ft1 lesser yellow underwing moth in 3 separate flights (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Aug 2015 at 11:16 Image of day on 02 Oct 2015

A Lesser Yellow Underwing moth in flight

Ref: 20151002_da1_20150802_1116_172+1235_251_ft1 lesser yellow underwing moth in flight + great willow herb flowers (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Jul 2013 at 14:07 Image of day on 19 Aug 2013

After a night in the moth trap Moths often need to warm their flight muscles before take-off. This was the moment of lift-off from a hawthorn twig, the downstroke bending the right rear wing as it catches on a leaf.

Ref: 20130819_da1_20130707_1407_231_ft1 light emerald moth flying from hawthorn leaf 10 of 11 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

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