Monday 20 August 2012

They're in my house.

Least Carpet, Idaea rusticata atrosignaria.  Geometer.  Moths that arrived in the house on 15th August.
Least Carpet, Idaea rusticata atrosignaria.  Moths that arrived in the house on 15th August.
This, above, is the fifth of the moths in my house over a two-day period, continuing from my previous post.

It is another small one, a Geometer, related to the Pug and the Willow Beauty I showed last time.  The caterpillars eat withered leaves of Ivy and probably many other plants, and it is quite common.  It's sitting on my chest of drawers, and that is made of real wood, not like the door the Pug was resting on last time.

Beautiful Plume, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla.  In my computer room in Hayes on 14 August 2012.
Beautiful Plume, Amblyptilia acanthadactyla.  In my computer room in Hayes on 14 August 2012.
This one looks quite different.  It's a plume moth, family Pterophoridae.  It flies slowly and is not at all agile.  I caught it in mid-flight a specimen tube with no problem, twice; the second time was necessary because it didn't stay put on the measuring paper.  The first time was when it came in my window and moved gently past me, looking spindly and gawky, as I gaped at it.

This species is new to me, though not rare.It's technically a micromoth, though just as big as many that aren't.  The caterpillars eat any one of several plants, including Goosefoots and Crane's-bills, which are common here.

Endotricha flammealis.  Pyralid.  In my computer room in Hayes on 14 August 2012.
Endotricha flammealis.  In my computer room in Hayes on 14 August 2012.
Another micromoth.  This one was on my wall the next day, so must have come in sometime duing the night.  It's of the family Pyralidae and often rests with stiff forelegs and wings cocked up at an angle.  The caterpillars eat decaying leaves on the ground, and it's common in gardens in the south.

The last one of this set.

Scarce Footman, Eilema complana.  At my window on 15th August.
Scarce Footman, Eilema complana.  At my window on 15th August.
I grabbed this in a tube when it came to my window on the second night.  It's of the family Arctiidae.  Like the Marbled Beauty I showed yesterday, its caterpillars eat lichens, and it's common in woodlands but rather less so in gardens, so I was pleased to add it to my house's species count.

So, there are nine moths, all quite different and all with their own beauty.  They represent six different families.  Would I have noticed this variety and interest before I started with moths a year ago?  Apparently not, because I don't recall anything like this invasion, though I suppose it must have happened.

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