Autumn Moths

Mervielle du jour moth in Co. Cavan

 

 

 

Angle shades moth

I have been pleased with the  moth trapping this week . Lots of unidentified november moth type sitting all over the trap when I went out and inside these two in the photos and a couple of feathered thorn and chestnut .

 

national moth night

Pink Barred Sallow

National moth night has been and gone, 18th and 19 th September, but I thought I would put up some pictures I got that weekend from the trap.

August Thorn moth

 

Moths, slugs ,newts and an otter

This piece of stick is a moth called buff arches

The Discovery Day at Bear Essentials  went off with a bang since we started off with a thunder storm. Thundery weather is great for moths and slugs and we had good collection in the moth trap . The sugar refuges provided lots of slugs for us to look at.

Garden Tiger moth

eft or young newt

The parents and children who came all had a good time and stuffed a variety of cuddly creatures indoors during the thunder storm. Once it cleared up we got outside to look for bugs. I also managed to spot an otter crossing the road outside Bear essentials so that made my day.

 

caterpillar in february

fox moth caterpillar

This was a sunny day in late february when this fellow appeared among the heather, grasses and red sphagnum moss up on slieve Rushen. The books use the phrase “basking in sunshine before pupation in early spring”

 

Survival strategy

Feathered Thorn is a type of moth which flew into our house this week, attracted by the light.

It flys at this time of year which makes it unusual since many moths fly in the warmer months of summer. There must of course be some advantages in being out when there are few others. I would guess there are fewer predators at this end of the year eg birds feeding broods . I imagine there are fewer bats about, spiders and predatory insects. I watched a wasp catch and kill an early thorn moth this

male feathered thorn, Killeshandra, 7th nov 08

July as I examined the contents of my moth trap one morning. The wasp neatly bit off each of the four wings. It positioned the remaining thorax and abdomen parallel to its self and flew off, with the copse underneath, in its legs . So maybe flying at this time of year is one survival strategy of another species of moth. It must be resistant to the cold!

From the books the larvae are feeding on various trees in May and June which is also when many other larvae are found. I wonder do the adults feed much.