Wednesday 27 July 2011

Beauty in the everyday


Nothing unusual came to the trap on a warm night. We're into the season of Yellow Underwings and allied brown pals which account for most people's lack of interest in moths. But let's enjoy the exquisite pattern of this Marbled Beauty - and also the rather fascinating dimpling of the lamp collar. It looks as if Mousey Thompson had decided to extend his style of furniture-making - lots of 'pockmarks' in the wood - to silver or aluminium.


And here are two examples of a 'small brown moth' which actually turns out on closer inspection to have a complicated and attractive pattern (double-click on the pics to make them bigger). It's the Shuttle-shaped Dart, the darker female above and the male below. The name has a resonance round here, where flying shuttles are an important part of our history.

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