I thought I'd start a new thread for 2017 & THIS is a link to the previous thread. To newcomers, all are welcome & you can post your moths, identified or not, on here. Any items related to moths too & of course caterpillars (all contributions of caterpillars welcomed by Wendy who is their substitute mum!)
Here are my first of the year, one from yesterday morning on the door, White-speck,
Which encouraged me to do a trap under the garden table & the White-speck came back along with a Black-spotted Chestnut
Unfortunately they were both dead, no sign of the spider, but it may be living under the garden table. Ah well, I suppose we all have to eat! I don't think I'll be doing another one for a while, this is just 2 or 3 warm days before it gets cold again.
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
Well done Wendy & right on both counts. Your caterpillar certainly got a move on, looked like bedtime!
Suddenly very mild last night & Moth trap yielded Mr & Mrs LBAM more Double-striped Pugs plus a couple of micros I have yet to ID but the star of the show was undoubtedly this beautiful Brimstone which floated gracefully down & settled beside me as I was taking pics ...
My second star is my overwintered Elephant HM who I brought in today, gave him a light mist (he definitely needed it after sleeping for six months), set up cam & waited for something to happen ........... still waiting as he decided against waking up just yet (got another wiggle as I gently brushed him with a soft twig though!)
My Lesser Yellow Underwing decided he wasn't ready to pupate & I have been collecting all manner of fresh leaves for him to stock up on ... he does the most ginormous poos (even bigger than the Large White larvae I had last year but doesn't smell as bad!!) ... will take a pic tomorrow when I clean up his habitat & give him more fresh stuff to eat!
Now back to a week of cold, frosty nights! Grrrr
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Lovely photos of your Brimstone Wendy. I managed a couple of good traps but haven't got them all sorted yet!! I'd like to go out again tonight but too exhausted, we've been working non-stop on demolishing the building next door (which we now own) for the last 2 weeks & I'm not used to it!!!
Actually had a day off yesterday & had a nice walk & saw this Broad-bordered Bee hawkmoth in the garden too, tricky for photos though
I had a visit from this beauty at the weekend. It was too big when it was on my hand to get it all in (I had my 100mm macro lens on) !
It wouldn't settle for a nice photo at all
It's a Giant Peacock Moth & europes biggest!
WOW!!!
Goodness gracious great moth balls of fire lol what a stunning moth, nice one Hazel.
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Regards, Hazel
From the sublime to the ridiculous! Lol ... my new little one which emerged yesterday from a teeny weeny pupa I've had in a pot for a few weeks ... found an impossibly tiny caterpillar on my emerging Tamarix tree, fed him up fully expecting it to be some kind of sawfly but had a pleasant surprise ...
Should be able to ID it but right out of time ... even sure I had one last year in Moth trap!!
BTW, Mick thinks it looks like a sarcophagus! Lol
EHM still languishing but does wiggle when disturbed ...
I think your moth is a LBAM (Light Brown Apple Moth) Wendy! Didn't you raise one last year? LOL
I don't suppose it'll be long for your EHM now. You need video surveillance!
Oof course it is H, the female version ... must be having a funny five minutes not recognising it!
Have cam set up to try & capture EHM emerging but no time-lapse facility for when I'm not here ... just hope he doesn't come out during the night!!