Yellow Underwing, Noctua pronuba

Yellow Underwing, Noctua pronuba

In the first week of September, I had two lovely Underwing moths fly in through the window.
First I spotted what I think was a large Moth on the window sill, and as soon as it started moving, I noticed the red triangle of the hindwings, as soon as it would come to rest.

Unfortunately, I was cooking at the time, and trying to capture the Moth into a temporary container,, get the camera from its shelf, (it had been raining, otherwise it lives in the window) keep the food from burning, did not work really. Later that evening I kept looking around to see if I could find this lovely Moth. Because it was all quite very hectic when I had seen it first, I was still not able to describe it properly, apart from the red Underwings. So I was hoping I'd find it the next morning at the window, looking for a way out. All I needed was a few pictures. I'm not even sure if it was a Red Underwing, Catacola nupta. Infact I have the feeling that the red area was bigger and without the two black lines. As I love seeing new Moths, I hate it when I have no photo, and when the meeting was so quick that I was unable to take in all the important features. I had a look at all the other Red-like Underwings, (French Red U., Crimson U, etc.)
Next day? No Moth. Perhaps this has become the first Moth which found its way out of the open window? At around 4.30 the following day, a similarly large Moth arrived on the sill. This time it was very easy to ID as the Yellow Underwing, Noctua pronuba. And I also managed to get a few pictures this time.
Wingspan is about 50-60mm.












A few days earlier, I found a Square Spot Rustic too:

Square-spot rustic, Xestia xanthographa

Grass Emeral and Buff Tip Moths.

Grass Emerald, Pseudoterpna pruinata





.

I'm Looking at you.

Do you know what Moth this is? If so, leave a comment at the bottom of this blog, please.


wingspan about 40mm.


Buff Tip, Xestia xanthographa
I found this Buff Tip on my plant sprayer, in the kitchen window, one morning. I never understand how the top (face) works. Just have a look at this woolly bit.
It crawled into a small medicine tub and so I put it out.




When I returned from collecting the Irish Times in my local village shop, it had moved into a vertical posiition. its texture really looks as if the Moth has been knitted.



Buff Ermine, Spilosoma lubricipeda


But what is this? or is it a 2nd generation which has not been "formed" perfectly? It also misses the 'feathers on the antennae. (female?)





Jackdaw, Corvus monedula


Magpie, Pica pica.

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