Greenery gallery

Colour in moths is one of a string of questions I've raised in this blog, but yet to find answers to. The almost complete absence of blue, my favourite colour, is the main niggle, but I'm also interested to know why green is not more common, given its obvious assistance in camouflage. Last night brought a feast of green, however, partly because I put the trap near some oak trees. On cue, a little army of Green Oak Rollers turned up - this little chap on the right. They are called 'rollers' because their caterpillars roll up oak leaves to make a small home which they then eat before spinning a cocoon in the remains. What a convenient arrangement. Along with them was this Green Pug (left), where the colouring is subtle and comes and goes with changes in the angle of light. Soon we should be getting the rather similar July Highflyer which is very varied but often has a basic but shifting ground-colour of green and grey. One day I hope to find a moth very similar to the Oak Roller apart from a white fringe which gives it the lovely name of Cream-bordered Green Pea, but it is much rarer.

Finally, here is the Green Silver-lines back again, a lovely moth and seen below from a different viewpoint, sporting an Amy Winehouse beehive.. The hairiness of moths is something which upsets some people, but surely this will win them over. Wouldn't you like to stroke it, or just give it a friendly pat. Look how hairy the eggbox is too, and I've never heard anyone say: "Yuck! An eggbox!" I like coloured hair, as sported more commonly these days by the bolder types of person. Human hair has an impressive spectrum but not impressive enough. Take blue...