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

Hopper and Spiders among today's Critters in the garden

Interesting Spider, hiding amongst the pebbledash of our front garden-wall.
no idea which species this is, of course.

Nina, the cat, had been playing with, or at least bothering it behind my back, as I sat taking pics of the
Spear Thistle, Cirsium vulgare




Flower petal of the Dockweed, suspended among Sea Bindweed.


Ladybird larvae.


Ladybird larvae.
And another one.

I found three larvae in this stage of development. I think that these are different specie than the larvae featured in last week's Macro Monday post, Nettle and Grass, because here I spot a yellow spot in the middle of the back, between the two spots on either side.

Grasshopper.
There were at least 2 of them in a space of 1.5m x1.5metre. And I did have to get right into the grasses and Bird'sfoot in order to get these shots.
Garden Ant on Common Bird'sfoot Trefoil, Lotus comiculatus, flower.


This Wasp sat very still on a bag of compost. It seemed as if the wings were unable to move.

3 Moths; Early Thorn, Small Magpie and an Angle Shades

Early Thorn, Ennomus quercinaria.
Small Magpie, Rivula sericealis





I found the Early Thorn Moth first on Wednesday night, when I spotted it on the Ecover bottle on the floor at the washing machine.

Angle Shades, Phlogophora meticulosa
n this position, with its wings spread, I first thought of it being a specie of Angle Shades. Phlogophora meticulosa, which I've had here in 2008 too. (actually, that one I found near the floor at the wasing machine too.)

The next day however, it turned its other side to me, and these markings made me realise that it hss to be an Early Thorn, Ennomus quercinaria. One of which I found here last year.
Another possibility, and probably the most likely, is that I had two different moths visiting. The Angle Shades has a more pinkish hue to it, and the Thorn more yellowish brown.
Later it dawned on me that I had had Angle Shades as well as an early Thorn moth, of course! Where the Angle Shades is now, is anybody's guess. It might have found its way out through the window, or via the door, which is often open for longer spells now that the weather is warming (not) the atmosphere. Or it has found a nice shelter within the kitchen;
We'll see, or not.


looks a little drunk, doesn't it?

It sat in a transparent container, lying flat on my table next to the open door, and kept moving about.before it finally flew off.
the underside of the Moth.

As son as I returned to the other side of the table to upload my photos, a Small Magpie landed on the door again, prompting me to repeat the whole process of catching and realease of yet another Moth.






I had to post this one from last year again; I just love its pose!


On the door, which was difficult because it sat right under the window and this made photographt very hard with the Sun reflecting into the lens of the camera.

The Magpie took position on the tip of my finger,, and let itself be taken outside where I sat it onto the stinging Nettle leaves. (its foodplant). Not wanting to come off, I gave it a small push with my thumb, and it made a quick dash for the Fatsia first, before coming back to me and into the the Nettle leaves.


I've got a lot of photo's which I tried posting, but which showed up as errors, time after time.
Anyone else having trouble?
we'll keep trying, but it might take some time.

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