Saturday 28 June 2014

A bug in the box



Bugging is all the rage thes days, both in secret agencies and the media. And now in my moth trap too. At least here it takes the benign form of this striking Shield Bug (I think) which was the most eyecatching inhabitant among the eggboxes this morning. Update: See helpful comment; it's a Hawthorn Shield.


I was so struck by it that I almost overlooked another fine visitor, a female Ghost moth who had snuck deep into a cone. Coincidence time: a cry from Penny of "There's a moth on the carpet!" alerted me to a male Ghost moth, very differently-patterned as you can see below, pure as a vicar's cassock - which had enterprisingly come indoors.


Other new visitors are tumbling over themselves to come and see me including, below, a rakish Brick, a
Small Fan-foot and the micros Agapeta hamana, Chrysoteuchia culmella and Anania hortulata, aka the Small Magpie. And many more, but that's enough moths for today.





3 comments:

Lucy @ A Natural Interlude said...

A pretty Hawthorn Shieldbug, I think. Nice to see :-)

Martin Wainwright said...

Thanks very much - I'll update. They're absolutely lovely, aren't they. Extraordinarily vivid for our modest little island. All warm wishes, M

Bennyboymothman said...

Hi Martin.
Yoour suspected 'Brick' is out of season.
I make it a Clay.

Also from your recent post on Upper Thames Moths (As I am unable to post there anymore, without logging in), your bottom moth is a Small Seraphim, a good species for a garden!


Cheers
Ben