Moths – Sirhowy Hill Woodlands

Pink-barred Sallow

Alex Craven — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 17:55:13 +0000

Category: Moths

September to October in the south, August to September in the north. Common throughout Great Britain.

This moth is most easily distinguished from other sallows by the deep red or pinkish-brown head and shoulders in contrast to the yellow thorax. The bright orange-yellow forewing is slightly hooked with deep-red or reddish-brown markings forming a bar from the leading to trailing edge.

They overwinter as eggs, laid in short rows on twigs close to the tree buds. The larvae can be found between late March and early June.

The Pink-barred Sallow feeds on the catkins of sallows and poplars, and when more mature on herbaceous plants such as docks.

The Pink-barred Sallow mainly lives in in broadleaved woodland, marshes and fens but also occurs in other places where the foodplant grows including gardens.

The Pink-barred Sallow belong to the Noctuidae family.

Scientific Name

Xanthia togata

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Small sized

Wingspan Range: 26-32mm

Population

Common and well distributed throughout most of Britain

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Large Emerald

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Green-veined White

Animals & Wildlife, Invertebrates, Uncategorised

Yellow Meadow Ant

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Chaffinch

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Goldcrest

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Ringlet

Dot Moth

Alex Craven — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 17:50:25 +0000

Category: Moths

Late June to August. Common to southern Britain, more local in the north of its range.

An unmistakeable moth with broad, glossy black wings and a large conspicuous white kidney mark.

The larvae can be seen from August to October feeding both at day and night, resting on the foodplant. They overwinter underground as pupae.

The Dot Moth eats a wide range of wild and cultivated herbaceous plants including Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Hop (Humulus lupulus), Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius), Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), White Clover (Trifolium repens), Black Currant (Ribes nigrum), Ivy (Hedera helix), Hazel (Corylus avellana), Elder (Sambucus nigra) and willows.

The Dot Moth lives in gardens and hedgerows and a wide range of open and wooded habitats.

The Dot Moth belong to the Noctuidae family.

Scientific Name

Melanchra persicariae

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Medium sized

Wingspan Range: 32-42mm

Population

Common and widespread in southern Britain and the southern half of Ireland.

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Burnet Companion

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Large Emerald

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Dingy Skipper

Animals & Wildlife, Birds, Uncategorised

Snipe

Animals & Wildlife, Invertebrates, Uncategorised

Yellow Meadow Ant

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Small White

Anter

Alex Craven — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 17:39:58 +0000

Category: Moths

July to September. Britain and Ireland. A medium-sized, brown moth with an antler-like mark on the forewing. Found in open grassland habitats.

This distinctive moth is distinguished by its cream, antler-shaped mark which varies in size on the forewing. Black streaks on the forewing may or may not be present. Males are smaller than females and have feathered antennae.

The adults fly during the day, especially in the north and more frequently in the morning. They can be found feeding at flowers such as thistles and ragworts and can also fly at night. The larvae can be found from March to June, feeding mainly at night, hiding in grasses during the day. They overwinter as eggs.

The Antler eats grasses such as Sheep’s-fescue (Festuca ovina), Mat-grass (Nardus stricta) and Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea). Has also been found on sedges and rushes.

The Antler lives in grassland, favouring acid upland pasture, moorland and downland.

The Antler belong to the Hadenines family.

Scientific Name

Cerapteryx graminis

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Medium sized

Wingspan Range: 24-34mm

Population

Common throughout Britain and Ireland

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Brimstone Moth

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Green Carpet

Animals & Wildlife, Birds, Uncategorised

Snipe

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Blackbird

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Drinker

Animals & Wildlife, Birds, Uncategorised

Blue Tit

Bordered White

Alex Craven — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 17:27:15 +0000

Category: Moths

May to June, but to early August in parts of northern Britain. Rests like a butterfly with wings held closed above the body.

Males fly around conifers in sunshine. Comes to light. Rests with wings held above the body and pressed together like a butterfly. Males vary from yellowish in the south to white in northern England and Scotland, the females varying from orange in the south to brown in the north. Males have feathery antennae.

The larva can be seen from late June to October. They overwinter as pupae on the ground among conifer needles.

The Bordered White eats mainly mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra laricio), Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta), Norway Spruce (Picea abies)and Larch (Larix decidua).

The Bordered White lives in native pine woodland and plantations, and shelterbelts of conifers. They prefer mature trees.

The Bordered White belongs to the Ennomines family.

Scientific Name

Bupalus piniaria

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Small / Medium sized

Wingspan Range: 34-40mm

Population

Well distributed throughout much of mainland Britain

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Bright-line Brown-eye

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Greenfinch

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Figure of Eighty

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Brimstone

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Ghost Moth

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Clouded Silver

Drinker

Alex Craven — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 17:21:40 +0000

Category: Moths

July to August. Common and well distributed to England, becoming more coastal to the north and in Scotland. Their name is derived from the habit of the caterpillars which are said to like drops of dew.

Distinguished from other large eggar moths by the diagonal cross line on the forewing and two small white spots. Males are usually a warm reddish-brown with yellowish patches. The females are larger and can vary in colour from deep yellow to a very pale buff, whitish or a darker reddish-brown similar to the male. In the fens of East Anglia the males are often yellowish.

The adults fly at night and are attracted to light, the males especially.

The Drinker eats a wide range of coarse grasses and reeds including Cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomeratus), couches, Common Reed (Phragmites australis), Reed Canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea) and Wood Small-reed (Calamagrostis epigejos).

The Drinker are most frequent in tall, damp grassland, fens, marshes, damp open woodland, scrub and ditches.

The Drinker belong to the Lasiocampidae family.

Scientific Name

Euthrix potatoria

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Large sized

Wingspan Range: 42-70mm

Population

Well distributed throughout England and Ireland

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Chaffinch

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Common Carpet

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Jay

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Bright-line Brown-eye

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Common Blue

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Green Carpet

Black Arches

Alex Craven — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 17:15:03 +0000

Category: Moths

Late July to August. Local to southern parts of England, East Anglia and west Wales. A distinctive moth with black jagged lines and markings decorating the creamy-white wings.

The adults fly at night and are attracted to light, especially the males. They can sometimes be found resting on tree trunks or posts during the day. The caterpillars can be found from April to June after they have overwintered as eggs.

The Black Arches eats mainly Pedunculate Oak (Quercus Robur) and Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea) but also other trees including Midland Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata), birches and elms.

The Black Arches lives in woodland and parks with mature oaks.

The Black Arches belong to the Lymantriidae family.

Scientific Name

Lymantria monacha

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Medium Sized

Wingspan Range: 36-56mm

Population

Well distributed in the southern section of England

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Green Carpet

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Ringlet

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Magpie

Amphibians, Animals & Wildlife

Common Frog

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Small Copper

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Heart and Dart

Brimstone Moth

Alex Craven — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 17:08:48 +0000

Category: Moths

Two generations from April to May and August. Common to Great Britain and Ireland.

An unmistakeable yellow moth with chestnut-brown markings on the tips and along the leading edge of the forewings. They also have a white crescent or dash near to the leading forewing edge.

They can frequently be seen on the wing just before dusk and they are regularly attracted to light. Some overwinter as part-grown larvae on the foodplant but others as pupae in cocoons on the plant, in debris below it or in a crack in a wall.

The Brimstone Moth eats a range of trees and bushes including Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), and Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia).

The Brimstone Moth lives in hedgerows, garden, scrub and woodland.

The Brimstone Moth belong to the Geometridae family.

Scientific Name

Opisthograptis luteolata

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Medium sized

Wingspan Range: 28-42mm

Population

Common and very well distributed throughout England, Wales, Scotland

Animals & Wildlife, Birds, Birds of prey

Kestrel

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Ghost Moth

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Coal Tit

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Peacock Butterfly

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Map-winged Swift

Animals & Wildlife, Invertebrates

Black Garden Ant

Bright-line Brown-eye

Alex Craven — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 22:09:40 +0000

Category: Moths

May to late July with a second generation in the south from August to September. Common to England, Wales and Ireland but less frequent in the far north.

The forewings are uniformly brown in colour with a fine white outer cross-line forming a W (the bright-line) and an orange blotch kidney-mark (the brown-eye).

The larvae can be found from June to October, feeding at night. They then overwinter as pupae underground.

The Bright-line Brown-eye eats a wide range of wild and cultivated herbaceous and woody plants including Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Fat-hen (Chenopodium album), willowherbs, St John’s-worts, Traveller’s-joy (Clematis vitalba), English Elm (Ulmus procera), Hazel (Corylus avellana) and Hop (Humulus lupulus). Also occasionally a pest to tomoatoes, fedding inside the fruit.

The Bright-line Brown-eye can be found in most habitats. They are also abundant in gardens and other cultivated land and also frequent on heathland and the edges of saltmarshes.

The Bright-line Brown-eye belongs to the Noctuidae family.

Scientific Name

Lacanobia oleracea

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Small sized

Wingspan Range: 28-38mm

Population

Common

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Light Emerald

Animals & Wildlife, Birds, Uncategorised

Blue Tit

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Dingy Skipper

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Dunnock

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Pink-barred Sallow

Animals & Wildlife, Birds, Uncategorised

Snipe

Elephant Hawk Moth

Alex Craven — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 21:59:21 +0000

Category: Moths

May to early August. This pink and olive-green moth is named after the caterpillar’s resemblance to an elephant’s trunk.

The adults are nocturnal, flying from dusk and coming to light, resting by day amongst its foodplants. They feed from honeysuckle (Lonicera) and other tubular flowers on the wing.

The larvae are usually seen when looking for somewhere to pupate, or when resting on stems in good weather, as they are very large, with noticeable eye markings. They overwinter as pupae in fragile cocoons at the base of plants in loose plant debris/litter, or just below the surface of the ground.

The Elephant Hawk Moth eats rosebay Willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium), other willowherbs, bedstraws (Galium), Enchanter’s Nightshade, fuchsias and Himalyan Balsalm.

The Elephant Hawk Moth lives in a variety of habitats, often where Rosebay Willowherb is present, such as rough grassland, waste ground and clearings, hedgerows, heathland, sand dunes, woodland (rides and clearings) and gardens.

The Elephant Hawk Moth belongs to the Sphingidae family.

Scientific Name

Deilephila elpenor

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Medium sized

Wingspan Range: 45-60mm

Population

Very widely and well distributed throughout England and Wales.

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Common Rustic

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Jay

Animals & Wildlife, Butterflies

Common Blue

Animals & Wildlife, Birds, Uncategorised

Blue Tit

Animals & Wildlife, Birds

Greenfinch

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Dot Moth

Buff Arches

Alex Craven — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 21:53:07 +0000

Category: Moths

Late June to early August. Common in Wales and England as far north as Cumbria and North Yorkshire but very rare in Scotland. A very pretty moth with a flint-like appearance.

The wings are a combination of smooth grey and white with orange-brown arches. They are active from dusk are frequently attracted to light.

The larvae which are a reddish-brown with two or four cream coloured spots, can be seen from July to mid-October.

The Buff Arches eats Bramble (Rubus fruiticosus) and Dewberry.

The Buff Arches lives in open woodland, particularly coppiced areas and young plantations. Also found in scrubby grassland and other places where Bramble grows.

The Buff Arches belong to the Thyatiridae family.

Scientific Name

Lasius niger

Location

England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Size

Medium sized

Wingspan Range: 34-40mm

Population

Common throughout Wales and England

Animals & Wildlife, Moths

Moths – Sirhowy Hill Woodlands

Pink-barred Sallow

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Xanthia togata

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Dot Moth

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Melanchra persicariae

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Anter

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Cerapteryx graminis

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Bordered White

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Bupalus piniaria

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Drinker

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Euthrix potatoria

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Black Arches

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Lymantria monacha

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Brimstone Moth

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Opisthograptis luteolata

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Bright-line Brown-eye

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Lacanobia oleracea

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Elephant Hawk Moth

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Deilephila elpenor

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Buff Arches

Category: Moths

Scientific name: Habrosyne pyritoides

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