Art of darkness

Today's customary greeting as the first of the month is 'White rabbits!' But here on M's Moths, it is 'Black moth!' because my faith in lighting the trap for the first time since January was rewarded by this: a melanistic Peppered Moth. Isn't it fine, including what my eyes consider a slightly greenish sheen?

But Eeek! See comments and ignore the above... (Although the below still applies to what this moth actually is,  a Pale Brindled Beauty.  I've just been Googling about the subject and found this interesting website to which I hope to contribute in a modest way.)

These used to be two-a-penny in northern England when the factories belched out smoke but they have declined dramatically as the air has grown cleaner and the countryside less polluted, or indeed melanistic. Although I am no expert on Darwinian theory, I once had the pleasure of meeting the late Sir Cyril Clarke, the doctor and entomologist who correlated the rise in non-melanistic Peppereds with the increase in UK centenarians. Buckingham Palace helped him to count him the birthday telegrams from the Queen.



Also in the trap, perched on the edge of the bowl, was this little chap above, whom I'll identify later,  (Update: I think it's a Chestnut) and this littler one below,reading the Scottish section of the Egg Code (did you know we had one?), whom I'll sort out later still. Update: I'm guessing it's Tortricodes alternella, catchy name eh? 



And finally, what is this magnificently spooky non-moth? You can see where people such as George Lucas get their ideas for Star Wars creatures et al.