Late to the party, plus thumbs

It looks as if the local Prominent moth population has been reading this blog. In my last post, I featured five of the tribe which came in a single morning and noted that, of my regulars, only the Pebble Prominent was missing. On cue, the one above turned up this morning.

I have shown it with my beautiful thumb which features in a number of today's pictures. Also a Mother-of-Pearl micro which I didn't even notice when taking the picture, so numerous are they in the trap these days. Here are some other Thumb moths:

a Straw Underwing

and again, from above. What a striking moth of its subdued grey/brown kind

A Grey or Dark Dagger, showing its weapons very finely

A Black Arches, altogether excellent moth

A Poplar Grey, also pleasantly patterned

A Lesser Yellow Underwing

and what I think must be a rather small Pale Mottled Willow.

Sorry about the condition of my thumbnails. I have always enjoyed biting then, not from any nervous disorder - that I know of, at least - but just as a practical way of stopping them growing without the faff of scissors or those unmanageable clipper things. I think it also keeps my teeth sharp. I would like to be able to bite my toenails but Penny is the one who does yoga, not me. (She doesn't bite any of her nails, I should hastily add).

Now, here are some nice if unspectacular non-thumb moths:

The rather neat, dark form of the Shuttle-shaped Dart, the first I've noticed this year

A Dusky Thorn on the lamp flex

and a Bloodvein, a species more common this year than I recall in the past

Last word on thumbs: I hope they make a good scale for you. Proper moth experts show rulers but I can never get camera, ruler and, crucially, moth in the same place at the same time. So I generally rely on readers have as intimiate a knowledge of UK eggboxes as I do. The thumbs are an extra.