Election Day

I was planning to run this post on 4 July when our General Election was under way and the BBC and other broadcasters were vigorously restrained from running anything political, even the colours yellow, red and blue. The lovely micro above, the Beautiful China-mark or Nymphula nitidulata, fits that bill if I am to consider myself a broadcaster. It is a terrific-looking insect but chastely black and white.

Seen here again in my second photo alongside a Burnished Brass, it is an interesting moth as well, with a caterpillar which seals itself in a reed and munches its surroundings before pupating, surviving occasional spells underwater in the process. Hence the Linnaean forename Nymphula meaning 'like a nymph', nymphs in the insect context being dragonfly larvae which live underwater.

Given the extremely welcome result of the election - we now do our regular commute to the grandchildren entirely through Lib Dem territory as shown above - I ought to be running pictures of yellow and orange moths.  The nearest I can manage from the latest visitors to the trap is this Lackey, seen from below and above with my viridian dressing gown as a backdrop.

I guess that the beautiful Swallowtail moth above also comes within the Lib Dem spectrum and its almost-perfect condition is perhaps symbolic of the party's revivals. Like the Lib Dems since the coalition days, Swallowtails can get a bit battered and torn.

My next moth is a very pretty variety of the Fan-footed Wave called Form fimbriolata, an attractive Latin word meaning 'little fringe' which refers to the equally attractive ribbon of patterning on the outer edge of the wings.

Completely different in tone is the Dark Umber, a slightly sinister moth which usually comes seldom but has been a regular here now for the past week. Note its upturned tail, a sure sign of the mating season.

The Single-dotted Wave is misnamed but a firm favourite with me and it's nice to have some scale in my second photo below in the shape of the Swallowtail again and a big fat male Drinker moth.

Oh and here we are back again in Liberal land with the perky Yellowtail, flashing the reason for its name.

Back to black and white with this tiny micro Eucosma campoliliana and a Marbled Minor, followed by a Dark Arches which strayed indoors during our post-election revelries.

And finally for today, a Large Twin-spot Carpet looking rather the worse for wear, like the Conservative party.