A jewel

Here's a moth to cheer up your Wednesday, should that need doing. It's also another of the tribe I was discussing on Sunday - very closely-related moths which only intimate bodily examination can tell apart.

This is therefore either a Gold Spot or a Lempke's Gold Spot, the latter named after the Dutch entomologist B J Lempke who flourished in the second half of the 20th century.

We can, however, be pretty sure that it is a plain and simple Gold Spot, which is a common moth, whereas Lempke's is only locally common with a stronghold in the fens of East Anglia. Perhaps Mr Lempke's countrymen and women brought it with them when they were draining the fens.

The scales are like those of the Burnished Brass, a recent favourite here, in the marvellous tricks they play with light. It is hackneyed to compare moths such as this with little jewels in the casket of eggboxes. But apposite, nevertheless.

My granddaughter loves the shadow of her hand when we are out with the buggy in the current sunshine. Below, for her, is the Gold Spot PLUS its shadow. I don't recall noticing this (admittedly obvious) phenomenon with my moths before.