A new Moth: Iron Prominent, Notodonta dromedarius

The Iron Prominent, Notodonta dromedarius
is a Moth with two oval 'dentations', one on each forewing, right next to the thorax.
A nice Macro Moth, about 19-24mm
Here
is an Southern example. And the pictures below show the darker form, the Iron Prominents flying in Northern parts.

I spotted this beautiful Moth, first when I heard a lot of 'buzzing' next to me, in the window. Nervous fluttering wings were busy trying to upright the Moth attached to the wings. The legs took to my fingertip immediately. The wings kept fluttering anxiously though, creating a strong vibration in my hand. A very intense sensation which is like how the buzzing of a Bumblebee would feel like.
It just kept walking about my hand, wings still fluttering. It was still nervous obviously.
Eventually I was able to get the Moth step onto the window sill, so that I could prepare a resting cave with a bit of food.
Iron Prominent, Notodonta dromedarius





Once it ended up on the window sill, still nervous, it was looking for a place to shelter and rest. The previous day I had used my bins to have a better look at what looked like a Ring Ouzel, and unlike me, I had failed to put it back into its cover and back onto my wheels.
Miss/Mister Prominent, looking for somewhere to rest
After trying to crawl into one of the tunnels of the bins, it started to crawl towards the camera. probably with the same intention.
After a little rest on my bins, instead of inside, (the wings settled down now. Finally)

Iron Prominent, Notodonta dromedarius

"That looks like a nice & warm little place..."(inside the lens)
Just before I could coax it back onto my finger, for a trip outside, with a container with a piece of melon, which I placed sheltered from the strong wind, underneath a plant in a pot. Of course it was faster than me, this time, and was interested in the cords of my potato and the cords of my mushroom storage bag.
And while all this was going on, a little Micro Moth started to get in the way. However I was unable to collect this one until the next morning when it was very willing to get onto my finger/hand, and be taken outside, where it flew off happily, almost immediately.

With a name like Notodonta dromedarius, one cannot help but wonder how this Moth ends up with being compared or named after a specie of Camel? It is a topic I still want to discuss in the UKMoths, yahoo group. So perhaps I can update you in due course. Unless one of you has any ideas.



Agriphila straminella