Friday 1 August 2014

White rabbits. Well, moths anyway



Back to the moths this morning, and the trap's first August residents include some interesting newcomers for the year such as the Lesser Treble-bar (I think; but it may be a Treble-bar; they are officially recognised as hard to tell apart and you can imagine what that means for me).



This uncertainty applies with more than usual force to today's moths. I m currently trying to find out from the sages on the Upper Thames Moths blog what this very distinctive creature in the two pictures above may be. Very distinctive, but a mystery to me in spite of unusually intensive scanning of the Moth Bible. Update: And UTM has come up trumps, as ever. Nigel Partridge spots it as Galleria mellonella, the Wax Moth - one blooming big micro!


The same applies to my third moth, above. Any help would as usual be much appreciated. Meanwhile, I can identify the pretty little Green Carpet below and Dingy Footman below that.



But is this little chap below a Muslin Footman? Again, uncertainty creeps in and as 1 Corinthians, Chapter 14, verse 8 rightly puts it: "If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for the battle?" After all, he or she may be a Scarce Black Arches. Update: or indeed the micro Udea lutealis - the correct ID brilliantly provided in Comments by Ben the Wise of Essex Moths - very many thanks, Ben, as ever.


Finally, I think we have a rather nice whiteish Dun-bar, befitting the first day of a new month, and then um...well, I think it's one of the many varieties of Common or Lesser Common Rustic. Here's hoping for more clarity on the second day of the month. Thanks for your patience. I hope some friendly expert passes by.




2 comments:

Bennyboymothman said...

Hi Martin
The Treble-bars can be identified by the first cross-line (one is more kinked) the other way is the end of the thorax, one is domed and the other pointy.
Although it does depend on how fresh your moth is and I see that yours is a little worn.

Your micro near the bottom is Udea lutealis...I have never seen one.

Cheers
Ben

Martin Wainwright said...

Thanks very much as ever, Ben - a tonic after an unusually flummoxing day!

all warm wishes

M