Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Moths Page 12

Image Taken on 23 Aug 2012 at 12:20 Image of day on 15 Oct 2012

This micro-moth about 10mm long (wingspan about 20mm =0.8 inch) was feeding on the pond edge Water mint.

Ref: 20121015_p10_20120823_1220_026 pyralid moth pyrausta aurata (10mm long) on water mint flower (crop)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image of day on 15 Jul 2005

This is a time of year for moths triggering the IR beam (mostly out of frame so you get 'nothing'). Here we have added to an image of a rabbit + one moth a number of other moths from other frames to make this montage of several species. None are good quality but they are all 'real'.

Ref: 20050715_d3e_20660 + 4 others fb1 rabbit with moths montage 2005jul12_22-31-06(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Jul 2019 at 12:42 Image of day on 05 Sep 2019

Our first ID of a Red Twin-spot Carpet Moth. The two black marks near the tip of the wings give them their name

Ref: 20190905_df3_20190717_1242_043 red twin-spot carpet moth (xanthorhoe spadicearia)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Aug 2010 at 11:06 Image of day on 24 Sep 2010

We put the moth trap out Sunday-Monday night and caught something like 1000 insects! Many wouldn't oblige in our flight kit, but some did. Here is a Red Underwing Moth, a large moth we have not seen before that looks just mottled grey when at rest.

Ref: 20100924_da1_20100809_1106_048+1102_017_ft1 red underwing moth in flight (artistic montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 15 Aug 2018 at 00:57 Image of day on 06 Oct 2018

This is a Red Underwing Moth flying over the ground, complete with shadow to lower right. We have no record of seeing this moth since 2011, and very few images of any of the 'Underwing' moths in flight - they are reluctant to fly in our 'flight tunnel' though we did manage a few pics in 2009 to 2011.

Ref: 20181006_e64_20180815_0057_110_fb2 red underwing moth in flight low over ground in woodland (crop 1)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 12 Aug 2020 at 21:00 Image of day on 21 Sep 2020

An unusual amount of wet 'bait' overnight at this site attracted what is most likely several different Red Underwing Moths over a period of 6 hours. Here is an accurate montage of 5 of the 10 camera triggers that made useful images.

Ref: 20200921_d36_20200812_2100_041-20200813_0248_077_fb4 red underwing moth multiple visits in 6 hrs 01+02+04+05+10 of 10 (acc montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 13 Aug 2020 at 23:14 Image of day on 21 Sep 2020

Next night the camera caught these two Red Underwing moths at this site together.

Ref: 20200921_d36_20200813_2314_013_fb4 red underwing moth on tree stump as another flies in(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Aug 2019 at 22:46 Image of day on 07 Oct 2019

Food on the top of the tree-stump here attracts a Red Underwing Moth to have a feed. These two moments 5 minutes apart and montaged.

Ref: 20191007_d36_20190817_2246_038+2251_039_fb4 red underwing moth on tree-stump (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Aug 2020 at 23:45 Image of day on 21 Sep 2020

And another night on finds two Red Underwing Moths joining a leopard slug for the feast. It's not very clear, but it is possible that the moth on the right is sucking up fluid that wets the slug. We have definitely seen fieldmice (wood mice) licking slugs, but this sighting is less certain.

Ref: 20200921_d36_20200814_2345_044_fb4 2 red underwing moths with leopard slug(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 29 Oct 2009 at 09:54 Image of day on 28 Nov 2009

A red & green mottled moth with a name that matches it's appearance (not that this helped us discover what it was called).

Ref: 20091128_da1_20091029_0954_162_ft1 red-green carpet moth in flight (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Mar 2023 at 11:45 Image of day on 07 May 2023

An hour later there were some more to rescue - here we are caught in action by the trail-cam that 'watches' the pond.

Ref: 20230507_bu5_20230327_1145_103_sc1 roy & marie rescuing more moths trapped in water surface(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 22 Nov 2023 at 09:11 Image of day on 04 Jan 2024

... soon to be rescued across several metres of deep water using this long thin branch extracted from one of the dozens of woodpiles around the sites.

Ref: 20240104_bu5_20231122_0911_088_sc1 roy fetching long stick to rescue moth caught in surface tension(r+mb id@288).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Aug 2010 at 11:37 Image of day on 23 Sep 2010

This 'Ruby Tiger Moth' fits the description but is much redder than any illustrations or other photos but it varies a lot with geography.

Ref: 20100923_da1_20100809_1137_189+1400_236_ft1 ruby tiger moth (phragmatobia fuliginosa) in flight with grass seed head (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 11 Aug 2013 at 11:16 Image of day on 01 Oct 2013

What we believe is a Ruby Tiger Moth montaged from 3 separate flights to make this impression.

Ref: 20131001_da1_20130811_1116_167+1112_150+1120_179_ft1 ruby tiger moth (q) in 3 flights (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 12 Sep 2010 at 09:43 Image of day on 09 Nov 2010

We are fairly sure this moth is a 'Sallow'. We didn't get any one shot we thought told the whole story so here are two views on either side of a twig.

Ref: 20101109_da1_20100912_0943_127+133+0940_121_ft1 the sallow moth in flight - 2 views either side of hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 29 Oct 2009 at 10:01 Image of day on 29 Nov 2009

We found we had another with much less obvious marks in orange. A completely normal variation according to the 'book'.

Ref: 20091129_da1_20091029_1001_185_ft1 the satellite moth (brown markings) in flight (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 29 Oct 2009 at 09:44 Image of day on 29 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 moth gets the name Satellite Moth' from an interesting 'dot' pattern on the wing with two 'satellite' dots by each main spot marking.

Ref: 20091129_da1_20091029_0944_150+0909_029_ft1 the satellite moth in flight with blackthorn (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 16 Jul 2009 at 14:22 Image of day on 19 Aug 2009

A pretty creamy gold moth called the Scalloped Oak shown in flight.

Ref: 20090819_da1_20090716_1422_403+1453_476 ft1 scalloped oak moth in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Jun 2024 at 10:54 Image of day on 28 Jul 2024

While walking round the North West corner of the house, we find this startling Moth. It is perched on the remains of the rendering under a bay window. This is a Scarlet Tiger Moth that we have never seen before anywhere but ID books. It is a daytime flying moth so we have never caught one in our night-time moth trap.

Ref: 20240728_df3_20240626_1054_093 scarlet tiger moth (callimorpha dominula) on subsidence damaged rendering (1st sighting) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Jul 2024 at 13:29 Image of day on 13 Aug 2024

Here we see again our newly discovered Scarlet Tiger Moth, this time perched on a hedge. The coloured spots have all but bleached to white on the top of the wings though the basic black seems to be a more persistent dye. The Moth flew across the path to land on a stem on the other side, providing an unexpected view of the underside - still quite brightly coloured.
As usual we blame the sun bleaching the side most often exposed to the UV.
IGNORE all this 'don't use Sunscreen' trash on social media - excess UV is dangerous.

Ref: 20240813_r70_20240705_1329_025+1330_035 scarlet tiger moth showing faded spots only on top of wings (montage of same individual)(r+mb id@768).jpg

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