Moths of Corfu (and some other animals too)

Long-tailed Blue, I think Update: No, thanks to Richard in Comments, I now know that it's a Geranium Bronze. I posted on this three years ago - see http://martinsmoths.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/singing-blues.html

I've been away in the sunshine (and indeed the rain, with European weather stood on its head so that Britain was basking while we got quite damp, though never other than very warm).

Ditto Update: nope, I'm going for Lang's Short-tailed Blue as per the amazing Richard in Comments

But I think this one may be a Shaw's Short-tailed Blue Update: Nope, a Lang's, I think. See caption to pic above

There was enough sun to bring out some lovely butterflies, though, and I managed to photograph a few in between spells of intense and extremely enjoyable granddaughter-watching. She beats even moths...

I'm going for Marbled Skipper on this one

The first five are a trio of blues of the tailed variety - although deely-boppered might be an apter description than tailed. Then we have a pair of skippers and finally a smart little fritillary and a reassuringly mundane Small White. Update: I have started an intensive ID sesh with the help of excellent websites such as this Flickr Greek Lepidoptera Pool, and am adding my suggestions as captions to the pics. Confirmation, correction and help of any kind MOST welcome.

Moths were also about at night and convenient to study and photograph thanks to a row of lights like inverted goldfish bowls where we were staying. Our group included the UK's illustrious Paralympian swimmer Suzie Rodgers who was my older son and daughter-in-law's best girl at their wedding. In addition to her many other talents - her daily practice sessions mightily impressed the sunbathers of Corfu - she is an ace moth-spotter and I owe her big thanks for alerting me to quite a few of the ones whose pictures follow, plus various other insecty creatures and one of their many enemies as a tailpiece.

Here are the more striking of the macro moths, led by a Corfiot relative of the Maiden's Blush, appropriately for the island of Nausicaa who surprised Odysseus in the nude after his shipwreck. Then comes a local version of our Vestal, again bringing echoes of Homer in terms of Penelope's chastity while her roving warrior husband was endlessly away.

Update: probably a Mullein Wave - many thanks Richard in Comments

Following them, a range of intriguing macro unknowns which I hope are distinctive enough for me to crack in ID terms in due course (others welcome to join in, as always)

Update: I'm plumping for dark form of Devonshire Wainscot, thanks to Richard in comments (again)

Update: Thanks to Andy King of the excellent Upper Thames Moths blog, I can definitely ID this as a Passenger Moth,  Dysgonia algira.  Ditto the moth below.  Thanks very much Andy

A different specimen of the moth above, caught in a flash pic on our kitchen wall . Update: see caption of moth above.

Update: Hooray for Richard in comments yet again. This is Dysauxes punctata 

Now a few which I am sure are relatives of our immigrant Silver Y family or indeed actual Silver Y's in some cases

And then the micros...  Days of enjoyable winter research lie ahead on websites which illuminate the moths of Greece. I have failed in the matter of scale once again but these are thumbnail-sized beasts. The colouring is a bit dodgy too with the photographs taken flashless by the ochreish light of the lamps.  Meanwhile, descriptions of blissful weather on our return have me fired-up to light the trap here at home and see what has business in Oxfordshire in September.

Update: Palpita vitrealis or related Crambid - thanks to Andy in comments. This also applies to the pic below

Update: Palpita vitrealis, as in preceding pic

Update: I think this is a Bee micromoth

Update: thanks to Richard in Comments again, I am pretty sure that this is a Hoary Footman

Update: another Bee micromoth, methinks

To conclude with some of the other animals in Gerald Durrell style, here are a few of the many bugs and beetles which swarmed over the goldfish bowls; then a strange upside-down, dragonfly nymph-like creature spotted by Penny as we marched home from the supermarket with our supper ingredients, and finally two cicadas, one intact and the other minus one of its key back legs but formidably agile even so.

Sorry, I said 'finally' but here's that tailpiece I mentioned earlier, below,  Watch it, moths of Corfu!