Wednesday 20 July 2011

Moths International

Is there a moth which looks like Rebekah Brooks? It's a 'lookist' question, I know, but if you wear your hair like that...

I go for the Vapourer, shown here courtesy of Dr Chris Gibson of English Nature, or Natural England as they've renamed it for reasons unknown. It gives the same impression of a small face peering through curtains of russet hair.

As for the Murdochs, what else but the Uncertain (right) and Confused (below); or should these two moths be representing Messrs Stephenson and Yates? I know and hope that, in general, blogs like this are a refuge from the weird world of London politics. But I can't help wondering after watching yesterday's events whether we all mean the same thing by words such as 'integrity'. Talking of which, many thanks to the outstanding website UK Moths for these pictures.

Anyway, enough of that. Here are a Green Arches and a Muslin Moth to remind us that there are plenty of delightful things out there in the dark as well.



Happy 189th birthday to Gregor Mendel too! See Google's excellent pixie today. Thanks to him, our sweet peas are coming along well.

3 comments:

Jane said...

Martin you are entertaining as always, as someone whose phone was hacked myself I am watching all this with amusement, hacking of messages is so widespread as to be considered commonplace here, essential to protect your privacy by changing your preset code on the voicemail, on a mothy note lovely green arches but your rebecca like moth also lovely

MartinWainwright said...

Hi there J - I haven't forgotten the Burnet film btw

Goodness, I didn't know that things were like that over your way. One thing which surprises me is how easy it seems to be to do this hacking. Maybe the technology will be wised up, although if it depends on dodgy phone employees then I guess that's harder to solve.

The Green Arches is one of my all-time favourites, though photos don't really do justice to the real thing. I wish there was a Blue Arches. The absence of blue in UK moths is one of my great fascinations.

All warm wishes

M

Jane said...

Thanks for reply Martin
If there are no blue moths but blue butterflies do you have a theory as to why that is? Is it the very limited number of blue flowers perhaps. I have noticed that the blue butterflies here are more of a purple shade that looks quite like the vetch flowers that they like to fly near.Are there blue moths elsewhere and if so why? on an aside perhaps photo-shopping the green arch into a blue arch may at least temporarily satisfy your desire for blue moths :-)