June beauties, Part 2

 

The Pine Hawk moth is the latest of the Summer's big beasts to arrive in the light trap, the finest of the hawks in terms of aerodynamics with its jet-shaped wings. I'm expecting to see a Hummingbird hawk one of these sunny days too and perhaps the much rarer Broad-bordered Bee hawk which paid me a visit three Summers back. I write 'sunny' but we're currently in a spell of relentless (and actually not unwelcome) rain.

A second source of pleasure - and fun for the grandchildren - is the Yellowtail whose name seems mysterious until you tickle it gently and - bingo - its bright yellow tail curves up between its wings.

Mine came in the company of an unusually fresh Swallowtail moth, one of the relatively few seen by plenty of people because they ghost about outside lighted windows on Summer nights. Most of the many which come here have wing damage; they seem to lead adventurous lives.

Here's a Common - but uncommonly beautiful - Emerald in equally fresh condition. Within a week or two, that lovely colour will fade. And a Small Magpie, one of the biggest of the UK's micromoths and delightfully-patterned.

What riches the trap contains in June! Below, we have a Barred Yellow, a Large Yellow Underwing, a Foxglove Pug - a macro moth although smaller than the Small Magpie just mentioned - a Beautiful Hooktip, a 'Pinocchio' Snout and a Buff-tip, the moth which pretends convincingly to be a broken twig or cigar butt.

Leaving the best until last, the exquisite Peach Blossom is one of the moths I love most. I still remember finding my first by daylight in the six square feet of soil with a deliciously-scented rose bush and some nasturtiums which was 'my' garden at school between the ages of seven and 13.  I'm very pleased that my entomological granddaughter is a busy member of the Gardening Club at her primary school and her younger brother has just signed up too. They know far more about the subject, Nature more widely and the ecological challenges facing the world than I did.

Penny and I were baby-sitting the youngest brother last week and during a break, I did a little insect hunt in their garden and came up with these: Meadow Brown, Comma, Red Admiral, Large White, Lacewing, Brimstone, Silver Y, and 20-Plume micro, the last actually in the bathroom. 

The children also brought home this tiny caterpillar from school and together we discovered the ladybird and weevil - I think - on rhubarb and a tiny cricket on the smallest boy's arm. The weevil flashed a pair of red knickers when we disturbed it and it flew off.