More Early Moths

Early Thorn, Selenia dentaria. Caught in my moth trap in Hayes on 30 March 2012.

There are still very few moths in my trap. Warm and dry weather, if we ever get any, should improve that. Here are three from March, including two I had not seen before. The Early Thorn is particularly pretty and is one of the few moths that holds its wings up over its body when at rest, like a butterfly.  This one has lost a few scales.  The larvae eat a variety of woodland plants, including Hawthorns, which I have in my garden.

Early Grey, Xylocampa areola.  Caught in my moth trap in Hayes on 30 March 2012.

The larvae of this one eat Honeysuckles.

The third is one which I have now seen a few times, but this is a particularly fresh and clearly marked specimen.  I caught one in September last year, probably belonging to that year's third generation.  Not many moths breed that fast.  Its larvae eat many different plants, and that together with three broods a year are good qualifications for a survivor. It's one of the smaller so-called macromoths. Here, it is photographed against my grey measuring paper, which is set out with 5mm squares.

Double-striped Pug, Gymnoscelis rufifasciata.  Found resting on top of my moth trap in Hayes on 19 March 2012.

Unlike the placid Noctuid moths, but like almost all the other Geometers, it won't be moved around without getting alarmed and flying away. I was lucky enough to find it resting on one of the perspex top plates of my trap, so I could just pick up the perspex and set it down on my paper, perfectly aligned.