#mothing — Public Fediverse posts

I may be 400 miles from home but with the power of a new phenomenon called Internet Wiffy or 5Gees I can bring you a #MothOfTheDay from yesterday’s batch. This is

PEBBLE PROMINENT (see pebble effect on wing)
Notodonta ziczac (great #Latin)

Larvae feed on sallow and poplar. Common and widespread

#moth #mothing #MothsMatter #nature #wildlife #entomology #lepidoptera #cute #animals #naturalworld #butterflies #conservation #alttext

Not really much happening on the #mothing front at the moment. There are a few species around, but I only seem to be attracting Common Quakers and Hebrew Characters ... and nothing else.

This Hebrew Character -- so called because its stigmata resembles the Hebrew Character Nun (נ) -- was a compliant little poseur this morning though.

#moths #MothsMatter #mothsandbutterflies #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #winter #spring #insect #conservation #biodiversity #alttext

#MothOfTheDay is

MOTTLED UMBER
Erannis defoliaria

A rather plain and drab specimen, but when mothing in November, beggars can't be choosers. Not many about now, so lucky if there are 5 in the box come morning and the nights have either been clear and cold, or wet and windy recently, neither of which help. Calm, cloudy, mild is what we need.

#mothing #MothsMatter #lepidoptera #nature #wildlife #insect #naturalworld #november #garden #pollinators #conservation #alttext #brown

So apparently the addition of asafoetida gets more moths to show up at sugaring mixes such as beer, molasses, and rum. #moth #moths #mothing #beetles #nocturnal #lepidoptera #insects #sugaring #entomology #sulphur #noctuidae

It has been a busy, busy year. And the best month of mothing has just started.
I have been haunting a local nature preserve called Kær Vestermark. I used to call it the grass desert, because it was close to a larger city, and the conservation efforts seemed to mostly be about conserving a nice area with cut lawns for dogwalkers and pedestrians. It has changed for the better in recent years, with cattle grazing and new ponds for amphibians.
The decline in moth numbers is concerning, though. I catch smaller numbers than I did four years ago, despite upgrading both gear and location. Last year I chalked it up to a cold spring, the year before that, a cold summer. This year....it's depressing.
I find species I haven't seen before, that is awesome, but some species, that used to be common as dirt, are showing up in smaller numbers or missing entirely.

#Entomology #Insects #Lepidoptera #Mothing #MothsMatter #Pollinators #MothsAndButterflies #WildlifePhotography #iNaturalist #Wildlife #Nature

Phlogophora meticulosa Agatugle

Eupithecia centaureata Hvid Dværgmåler

Euthrix potatoria Græsspinder

Found this poorly camoflaged Curve-Lined Angle, Digrammia continuata (Geometridae) sitting on our hiking trail instead of on a tree (where we likely would have missed it). #mothtodon #moths #moth #mothing #nature

#Moths never cease to amaze me. Weather seemed promising last night: mild, drizzle forecast, light to moderate wind. Yet, only four in total. A Muslin Moth and Early Grey (both on my feed already).

The other two were first sightings in 2025 for Brimstone Moth and the wonderfully named Chocolate Tip. Chocolate Tips usually hold their wing so it appears tubular, but this one was more open.

#mothing #MothsMatter #nature #wildlife #lepidoptera #entomology #garden #alttext

First #moth box of 2025. Wasn't expecting anything, to be honest, so surprised to get three. Of course, I could have bet my mortgage on them being these three given how early it is in the season. Hardy souls from last night:

1) Hebrew Character (left)
2) Early Grey (top right)
3) Common Quaker (bottom right)

#mothing #lepidoptera #nature #wildlife #entomology #MothsMatter #garden #spring #March

More interesting, than #mothing & #running though is watching with a wry smile how the the Dysfunctional States of America democratically voted bigly for comical carnage again in their #USElection. I'd been calling it for months over here in Blighty.

Obviously means major world instability & accelerated climate catastrophe. But hey ho, it's what they voted for. Maybe that's why #Musk is being engineered to be the next Pres. When the USA is no longer habitable he'll Tesla you all up to Mars.

#Mothing season officially ended for me now. Been a pretty poor year this year to be honest and wished I could have showcased a few more. Maybe the weather/climate will be kinder over winter and into spring 2025.

If you like observing nature and want to participate in science, I highly recommend https://observation.org/

It's a great website to create a personal log of your nature observations. It also helps identify species if you upload a photo. And it supports scientific research.

#BirdWatching #mothing #wildlife #entomology

Pretty quiet on the mothing front last night. Almost full moon, clear and slightly cooler night meant less action (... or maybe more action if you saw my previous Sex Lives of a Cabbage Moth post! 😮 )

Just a handful in the box this morning, but these included four beauties:

1) BLACK ARCHES
2) MARBLED BEAUTY
3) MARBLED GREEN
4) DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG

#moths #mothing #lepidoptera #entomology #insects #nature #NaturePhotography #naturalworld #wildife #wildlifephotography #garden #altext

Sex Lives of a Cabbage Moth - no, not a bawdy British 1970's low-budget comedy, but yer actual fornication in my moth box this morning.

I run a respectable household, not a cheap and filthy knocking shop .... and I am disgusted at these lodgers pursuing such carnal pleasures. And in broad daylight too! Would you give it credence?!

#moths #mothing #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #reproduction #animals #garden #alttext

Still now there are species that visit the moth box which I have never had visit before. Last night there were two

1) Bulrush Wainscot (top left)
2) Caloptilia alchimiella(size of a grain of rice) (top right)

Plus, two I have had before but which are beauties

3) Blood Vein
4) Pale Prominent

#moths #mothing #MothsMatter #lepidoptera #entomology #insects #cute #animals #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #garden #conservation #hastings #alttext

And following on from Critters in the Box (see earlier post), here are three gorgeous moths that paid a visit last night:

1) & 2) Peach Blossom

3) Buff Ermine

4) Common Wave

#moths #mothing #MothsMatter #entomology #insects #animals #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #naturalworld #conservation #lepidoptera #garden #alttext

PART 2

1) and 2) GYPSY MOTH - the males have giant antennae which they use when flying around to locate lazy females, who barely fly and do not move far from their cocoon.

3) YELLOW SHELL

4) MARBLED GREEN

#moths #mothing #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #conservation #naturalworld #animals #yellow #green #face #shell #alttext

PART 1 - Similar but different

Pic 1) On the left, the dapper GARDEN TIGER with his sleek hair & pristine patchwork coat. On the right, the scruffy pretender, a shabby JERSEY TIGER, bald head and a stripey coat that's seen better days. A #moth that has really let himself go! 😅

Pic 2) Also here, is the Garden Tiger flashing his garish undergarments.

#mothing #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #lepidoptera #entomology #alttext #insects #naturalworld #orange #black

I'd like to be able to showcase some more variety, but I can only show those that visit the box. If they don't come, I can't show them. So a few repeats of the usual suspects, but they're still pretty as always:

1) The Clay (top left)
2) Chinese Character (top right)
3) Ruby Tiger (bottom left)
4) Common Rustic (bottom right)

#moths #mothing #MothsMatter #lepidoptera #entomology #insects #animals #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #conservation #alttext

One moth
Two positions

One of my moth box visitors last night was a SCALLOPED HOOK-TIP.

Here we have:

1) the position he was found in, the tented position, gripping to the outside edge of the moth box

2) on the ground, wings open and extended (and scurrying, hence some blurring)

#moths #mothing #MothsMatter #lepidoptera #entomology #insects #animals #hook #conservation #nature #wildlife #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #naturalworld #wings #alttext

More interesting moths in the moth box last night. Very warm conditions and the odd shower made it perfect conditions.

First four bangers were:

1) The Coronet
2) Oak Hook-tip
3) Pebble Prominent
4) Copper Underwing

#moths #mothing #MothsMatter #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #conservation #sussex #garden #alttext

After my earlier post showcasing last night's visitors, I seemed to miss this little fella clinging to the parsley pot ... and he's probably the prettiest of the lot.

LUNAR THORN (spot the moon crescents on its underwing)

#moth #mothing #moths #MothsMatter #lepidoptera #entomology #insects #animals #conservation #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #lunar #moon #hastings #alttext

Rather disappointing numerically in the moth box overnight. Elephant hawk-moth and Jersey Tigers are flying (but you've seen plenty of them already). Four for today are:

1) Knot Grass (had five of these) - (Top Left)

2) stunning micromoth Pammene regiana - (TR)

3) plain, fidgety and difficult to photograph micromoth Crassa unitella (BL)

4) toggle-shaped Dingy Footman (BR)

#moths #moth #mothing #MothsMatter #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #lepidoptera #entomology #alttext

PART 2. (If you missed the utter wackiness and cuteness of PART 1, it's on my timeline immediately previous to this).

Here are some more delights from yesterday morning's #moth box :

1) LESSER SPOTTED PINION (very localised moth) (top left - TL)

2) SCALLOPED OAK (TR)

3) SCARCE SILVER LINES (BL)

4) JERSEY TIGER MOTH - (BR)

#moths #mothing #MothsMatter #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #insects #animals #cute #naturalworld #sussex #hastings #alttext

PART 1.

Look out for PART 2 later.

Some absolute bangers in the #moth box this morning. All colours of the rainbow except blue and purple. First four delights are:

1) CANARY-SHOULDERED THORN (a cute, delicious ball of bird-faced, yellow floof)

2) Rich red of RUBY TIGER

3) Peachy ROSY FOOTMAN

4) Bark(ing) mad mimic PALE PROMINENT

#mothing #moths #butterflies #lepidoptera #entomology #insects #conservation #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #hastings #cute #yellow #red #alttext

A varied moth box this morning. The stars of the show were these two stunning species:

1) and 2) the large, ginger ball of floof that is the OAK EGGAR (new for my garden)

3) and 4) the steely grey and rust flecked IRON PROMINENT

#moth #moths #mothing #MothsMatter #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #naturalworld #conservation #lepidoptera #entomology #insects #animals #cute #hastings #alttext

This larger-sized moth is called DARK ARCHES. It is exceptionally common and I often get several visitors on summer nights coming to roost in the moth box. However, they are rarely as fresh as this specimen who very much wins the best turned out prize today.

#moths #mothing #MothsMatter #lepidoptera #entomology #insect #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #garden #hastings #alttext