Moth numbers continue very sparse and the increase in types continues at a snail's pace. Here indeed is a snail, above, fortunately the other side of the trap's transparent cowl from a roosting Green Carpet. That night - Wednesday just gone, I only had Green Carpets, a couple of caddisflies, my first Maybug or cockchafer of the year and three Muslin moths.
The last got me interested, though, because of their colour variations, especially the one with 'eyes' on its wings. This in turn led me to the Moth Bible and I realised that in all my16 years of trapping, I have knowingly seen the female of this very common species.
I say 'knowingly' because she is quite similar to a White Ermine, another common though beautiful regular which will be here soon, and I may have dismissed one by looking too casually through the eggboxes. She is completely different from the male, white instead of grey, flies by day and is active in sunshine. He is nocturnal and is the only one which comes to light. You can see from the picture of one from below how closely the body of both sexes is to the White Ermine's.
What a curious arrangement! The Jack and Jill Spratt of moths.
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