High Noon

This bulletin is a week old because I didn't have time to write it before we left for what proved to be one amazing, heatwave week beside the sea on the Cardigan/Ceredigion coast. More of our adventures there tomorrow, but meanwhile here's a lovely selection of moths which arrived the day after P's birthday, on the 17th July.

My favourite is the lovely Beautiful China-mark, above, a very well-named micro-moth whose official Linnaean title I had better add, since that is the form for micros: Nymphula nitidulata. Not as evocative but attractive in its own way; maybe sounds like a Greek or Italian nightclub singer.

Next we have a similarly delicate moth but a macro this time, although not a lot bigger than the BC-m: a 

Blue-bordered Carpet, and then a series of graceful Laura Ashley arrivals, appropriately for P who looked lovely in Laura Ashley dresses during our courting days.

A Common Emerald

Swallowtailed

Brimstone

Not sure but think it's a Dark Umber female

Next, we have a Buff Arches resting with assorted companions on the moth trap's bulbholder and then below another Swallowtailed along with an opalescent Mother-of-Pearl micro, a Muslin Footman and a Ribboned Wave. As you can see, July is High Noon for UK moths and a whole stream of other visitors follows.

Small Scallop

Lesser Cream Wave

Least Carpet

Vapourer - an eye-catching moth whose caterpillar I found a year or two ago on the big walnut which is home to our grandchildren's treehouse.

The chunky micro Calamatropha paludella

I think that this is a Large Twin-spot Carpet snuggling up towards another Muslin Footman

Shaded Broad-bar

A second generation Early Thorn alongside a September Thorn (which starts flying in July in spite of its name)

And finally, to round off an excellent night's guest-list, a Dusky Sallow.