Another colourful point of interest for those who peer into the lower tiers of greenery, as well as scan the skies and trees for the slightest movement, has been the emergence of some spectacular moths along the start of the hide path at Radipole. Over the last couple of weeks, the translucent papery cocoons have been concealing the amazing metamorphosis within and over the weekend the burnet moths have revealed themselves. I found some today, clinging on to the swaying grass and cow parsley stems; several had wasted no time in pairing up and getting on with producing the next generation. As the picture shows they have a certain athletic flair when it comes to mating.
I know what you're thinking... Are these Five-spot Burnets or Narrow-bordered Five-spot burnets? The truth is I'm not quite sure, and I believe that they can be difficult to distinguish. The middle pair of spots is less likely to be merged in the latter species, so if pushed I'm going for Narrow-bordered Five-spot burnet, but inexperience on such fine points prevents me from insisting on it...
These are day-flying moths so it's very easy to admire their metallic-looking finery, and the sight of one taking to the air this afternoon was reminiscent of the flight of a rubber-band powered model plane - slow, somewhat determined, unlikely to produce any breathtaking aerobatic feats or long distance records but a joy to watch nevertheless.
Great stuff Chris. Several burnets flitting about this evening. A beautiful moth wrapped in Penryn colours. Up the borough!