Petticoat blush

 

If you're given something fine to wear, you might as well sport it, or at least give a flash occasionally as in the case of a petticoat. The Ruby Tiger moth is having none of this. It is extraordinary reluctant to show the lovely hindwings which give it its name.

I managed to get that small glimpse of the lefthand wing in the moth at the bottom right, above. The one at the right top is also showing a little of the species' marvellously exotic body - bright red with large black spots, but this too is generally kept concealed. I wonder why, when the accepted theory goes that these hidden surprises are useful as a 'scare' defence, as in the case of the sudden appearance of the 'eyes' on the hindwings of a surprised or alarmed Eyed Hawk. I will Google some time; but now we press on to other arrivals

Below, travelling clockwise from the top left, we have a Scalloped Oak, a Common or Lesser Common Rustic, a rather quietly coloured Coronet and a Light Emerald.

Next, looking very different in the two types of lighting conditions experienced by my iPhone, is a July Highflyer, my first this year, a moth with a tremendous number of variations on a basic theme of greeny-streaked-with-black, but always identifiable by its size and shape - a broad isosceles triangle with gently curving sides. Unlike other moths with months in their names, which often promiscuously fly at other times of the year, this one is pretty loyal to July, in my experience.

Another newcomer is this Dun-bar, below, another very varied moth in colouring terms but always with the same basic pattern.  Then we move on to different curious beasties of the night.

I have asked the expert on iRecord whether these two caddis-flies are a happy couple, long-connected and content in one another's company, or just coincidentally resting side by side. Below them, I was interested to find a Maybug or cockchafer at what to me seems a late stage in their season, given that they start appearing earlyish in May.

Room for one more moth - just. This Large Yellow Underwing found an extremely tight fit in an eggbox cone, a feature of the moth trap which often entices arrivals who want privacy or somewhere really good to hide. I peeled it gently open and he or she seemed quite happy to be out.

Oh and we have a guest moth from Walthamstow - this very nice Least Carpet found by older son whose large and lively family are happily great explorers and discoverers of the natural world.