Happy Snappy Ecologist: Tales From the Moth Trap - 1

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Major excitement here - I've just been gifted a moth trap! So this simple set-up features a really bright bulb above a cone funnelling down into a box filled with egg boxes. Moths come to light, fall into box and hide up in the egg boxes. Delighted moth enthusiast emerges from house in morning, carefully photographs sleepy moths, hides them up in various bushes around the garden then gets out the moth book to identify them all. The garden moth list begins!

Here are the highlights from the first night........

Aptly named - Spectacle moth! (Like how groovy?!)

spectacled close.jpg
spectacled.jpgSpectacle Moth Abrostola tripartita

Another beauty - the Peppered Moth, famed for its ability to develop darker colours where pollution dictates that darker is best for dirt covered trees. This one would blend in nicely on an unpolluted silver birch.
peppered moth.jpgPeppered Moth Biston betularia

Always a favourite - the beautiful Buff Ermine.
buff ermine.jpgBuff Ermine Spilosoma luteum

Several of these 'Heart and Dart'.......
hearts and darts.jpgHeart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis

.......and a rather elegant Clouded Border.
clouded border.jpgClouded Border Lomaspilis marginata

Aren't they all AMAZING?! I love that these incredibly beautiful creatures are flying around at night whilst we all sleep. I look forward to sharing more pictures with you over the summer.

Happy Snappy Ecologist: Rambling through nature makes me very Happy and I can't resist getting Snappy with my hand-held Panasonic Lumix FZ45 sometimes with clip on Raynox 150 macro lens. This helps me share my love of Ecology with others and reminds me to identify and find out more about different species when I get home. Enjoy!

Happy Snappy Ecologist: Tales From the Moth Trap - 1 | Ecency