Here in black and white

A favourite moth is calling regularly at the moment, the Black Arches whose bold juxtapositioning of black and white contrasts with the subtler camouflage of drabber species. As with military dazzle camouflage, the patterns confuse the outline of the moth and alter its shape; at least so we assume, because it survives its many predators and returns in late July and August every year.

This year's examples included the one immediately above and in the two pictures below which had a softer and more blurry pattern than is the norm. Only the males come to light and you can see from the fine antennae in the last picture that this is indeed a Mr and not a Mrs.

The moth's other Point of Interest, as they put it on Google Satellite, is the touch of pink, visible on its head in the middle picture and on its abdomen in the one with the purple Globe Artichoke flower. This can be strikingly bright although there is a melanistic variety which I have never seen, where the entire moth including head and tummy is a dull grey.

It has been high season for moths for a while now and they have been whirring in - here is a selection: August Thorn, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Least Carpet, July Highflyer, another Red TS Carpet, the micro Ancylis badiana, Brown-line Bright-eye, Early Thorn and Shaded Broad-bar.

Then in the second composite, one of hundreds of Mother of Pearls around at the moment, Blood-vein, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Large Yellow Underwing, Brimstone in a bush by the light, Swallow Prominent on a wall near the trap, Willow Beauty nearby, Brimstone actually in the trap and a battered Ringed China-mark micro with a Common Footman.

All these juicy guests have been watched with great interest by our blackbirds and robins, especially the character below who will go to any lengths to get through my defences when I am photographing the slumbering moths in the morning.