Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Moths Page 15

Image Taken on 23 Jul 2019 at 16:19 Image of day on 13 Sep 2019

We startled this White Plume Moth hiding in the path and it flew off to find another safe place. It perched upside down partly in shade under these 'weeds'.
How different the world must be to these tiny creatures. In the Insect Flight Tunnel we often see insects flying inverted, but tend not to show them as aberrations caused by the artificial setup, but maybe it is quite normal.

Ref: 20190913_d72_20190723_1619_027 white plume moth (pterophorus pentadactyla) perched inverted on foliage(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Jun 2011 at 15:39 Image of day on 10 Aug 2011

One of our favourite moths is the plume moth. When perched it is a white 'T' shape with the 'plumes' brought close together. (Another Plume moth called the 'T' is brown and really does align all the plumes) In flight the plumes separate out to form a wing 'surface'. Here the insect is flying away from the camera and upwards.

Ref: 20110810_da1_20110626_1539_285_ft1 white plume moth in flight (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Jul 2013 at 14:45 Image of day on 03 Sep 2013

This White Plume Moth was caught in the daytime and shows how the filaments on the wing struts lay over one another to make a (admittedly weak) aerodynamic structure.

Ref: 20130903_da1_20130714_1445_309+1229_015_ft1 white plume moth in flight with grass (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Jun 2011 at 15:40 Image of day on 10 Aug 2011

This time the moth is flying right to left and banking towards the camera.

Ref: 20110810_da1_20110626_1540_287+1537_270_ft1 white plume moth in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Jul 2013 at 14:34 Image of day on 03 Sep 2013

After release this same White Plume Moth decided it liked the post of our conservatory gate and was still there when we went to bed, but gone next morning.

Ref: 20130903_p10_20130714_1434_791 white plume moth on security gate post (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Jun 2020 at 12:57 Image of day on 12 Jul 2020

It took a while to identify this caterpillar as that of the White Satin Moth.
We met a pair of Imago (i.e. the finished moth) 7 years ago (2013) that you can see two-thirds of the way down page arch 2013 sep.htm.

Ref: 20200712_df3_20200609_1257_062 white satin moth (leucoma salicis) caterpillar (orig)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 22 Jul 2013 at 11:03 Image of day on 08 Sep 2013

One of the two White Satin Moths obliged with a flight for us.

Ref: 20130908_da1_20130722_1103_042+1300_255_ft1 white satin moth in flight as from grass head (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Jul 2013 at 16:40 Image of day on 08 Sep 2013

This White Satin Moth was hanging like this from a grass seed head a couple of metres from the moth trap in which we caught another. We like the pretty black and white ringed legs.

Ref: 20130908_a77_20130720_1640_004 white satin moth on grass head (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 15 Jul 2022 at 16:04 Image of day on 07 Sep 2022

This Ermine Moth is perched a wooden posts. All of the Ermine Moths are beautiful creatures.
We expected this to be a Spindle Ermine Moth that invaded the Spindle trees and hedge several weeks ago, but the ID book assures us that it is most likely a Willow Ermine Moth, or maybe an Apple Ermine moth.

Ref: 20220907_d72_20220715_1604_100 willow ( (q) poss apple) ermine moth perched on timber post (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 21 May 2019 at 10:33 Image of day on 26 Jun 2019

We have seen lots 'Carpet Moths' here over the years, but it seems to be the first time we have seen this 'Wood Carpet Moth'.

Ref: 20190626_df5_20190521_1033_045 wood carpet moth (epirrhoe rivata) on sweetheart (first sighting here) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Jul 2021 at 08:30 Image of day on 15 Aug 2021

A Yellow Shell moth rests on a thistle leaf in the dark of the hedge.

Ref: 20210815_d73_20210709_0830_075 yellow shell moth(r+mb id@432).jpg

Image Taken on 22 Jun 2014 at 11:29 Image of day on 29 Aug 2014

This Yellow Shell moth is a day flying moth shown with a small sample of Orange Hawkweed

Ref: 20140829_da1_20140622_1129_062+1324_093_ft1 yellow shell moth in flight with orange hawkweed (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 03 Jul 2019 at 14:50 Image of day on 20 Aug 2019

This Yellow Shell Moth has been given a green cast by sunlight shining through the Laurel leaf above it.
We considered 'colour correcting' the image, but this is what we saw. Checking the ID in a venerable insect ID book this species was alone on the page as being shown on a dead leaf, so maybe this is a typical daytime hiding place.

Ref: 20190820_df3_20190703_1450_126 yellow shell moth just landed on dead leaf in shade of live leaf tinging the moth with green(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Jun 2010 at 14:29 Image of day on 11 Aug 2010

The range of yellow underwing moths are always startling as they change from a drab brown into a brilliant yellow-orange display that frightens off many potential predators.

Ref: 20100811_da1_20100627_1429_019+1522_208_ft1 yellow underwing moth in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 19 Aug 2012 at 14:22 Image of day on 27 Sep 2012

This small mostly white moth is a Yellow-tail Moth - a new species for us.

Ref: 20120927_da1_20120819_1422_245+1519_428_ft1 yellow-tail moth in flight with hedging (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

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