Night Visitors

Riband Wave, Idaea aversata forma remutata.   Moth that came to my window on 19 July 2012.

Sitting at my computer, writing up the West Wickham moth trap results for July, I noticed three moths at my window.  I was able to lean out and capture two of them, long enough to get good photos before I released them again.

One was a Brown House Moth which I didn't bother to invite in.  The other two were the Riband Wave above, and a Scoparia ambigualis.

The Riband Wave comes in two forms.  In the other, there is a dark colour between the two lower cross-lines.  The two forms are supposed to be equally common, but I see this one more often.

Scoparia ambigualis.   Moth that came to my window on 19 July 2012.

This is also quite common .  It's one of a group whose larvae eat moss and which look very similar, so I am not completely confident in my identification, though I think it's right.  It was quite active and I didn't let it out of the tube I caught it in.

Later, more moths appeared, and I managed to catch one more.

Hypsopygia glaucinalis.   Moth that came to my window on 19 July 2012.

Another micromoth, this one seen less often, despite the book saying it's common.  So really, considering I didn't have my moth trap out, I did quite well that night!  Especially as one I didn't catch turned up in the house later.

Bee Moth, Aphomia sociella.   Found in my house in Hayes on 21 July 2012.

I thought I had seen a moth come in while I was reaching out and concentrating my attention on catching that last one, but when I had that one safely potted and looked around again, I couldn't find the one I had seen, so thought it must have flown away.  But two days later, this Bee Moth suddenly appeared from behind a plantpot.  I am pretty sure it's the one I missed.  That appearance was lucky for it, because I sent it outdoors again after I had its photo.  It would have starved to death if it had stayed in the house.

OK, this is not a very colourful group, but it was interesting to see them, and I was able to add two new species to my Hayes species list.