Once again time has flown by and I'm downloading photos from a couple of weeks ago from the camera despite my best intentions of doing it more regularly!
When I saw this stunning turquoise moth I thought it would be easy to identify and, from the colour, went straight to the emeralds but it doesn't seem to match any of the pictures in my book. It is large as can be seen from the plantain head it is resting on and this photo was taken on 4th June. Help with identification would be greatly appreciated.
I'm seeing drinker moth larvae fairly regularly at the moment. This individual, 4th June.
Ringlet butterflies are starting to appear now, 13th June …..
…… as are the large skippers, 13th June.
My sighting of that day though had to be this rather battered clouded yellow. These were quite numerous on Ffos Las a couple of years ago but I think that I only saw one during the whole of last year and didn't manage to get a photo of that one as it didn't settle anywhere me.
A blood-vein, not uncommon, but I don't see many moths flying in the day time and settling where I can photograph them, 31st May.
Looks like a Large Emerald.
ReplyDeleteThanks Andy. I'm confused though as the picture of the large emerald in my book has 2 if not 3 wavy pale lines across the wings and no pale fringe along the bottom of the wings, whereas my moth has a pale fringe, apparently a single pale line across the wings and a pale splodge (to use a very technical term) half way up the fore wing. You can understand my confusion and why I didn't I/d it as a large emerald. However, the large is a common species, the right food plants are present, its the right time of year and I never find rare moths whilst out walking during the day, so unless anyone says anything different, I'll go with what you say as I'm just a dog walker with a camera and a book and certainly am no expert!
ReplyDeleteIt looks very freshly emerged. Perhaps it's markings were not quite showing.
ReplyDeleteYour Emerald is of the Grass persuasion, always nice to see, especially fresh ones like this one as the colour quickly fades.
ReplyDeletePlease don't think that I'm presuming to doubt people who have obviously much more knowledge and ability than me, but is the pale fringe on my moth indicative of a new emergent which will fade in time? cos how will any amateur like me ever hope to make a correct identification?
ReplyDeleteHi Maggie, I was referring to the green colour, which fades quickly on this species. The pale fringe also tends to be lost over time too, so both features indicate this is a fresh specimen. Apologies if I have caused any confusion.
ReplyDeleteThanks Barry for the clarification. You didn't confuse me, I was confusing myself! I shall log this beautiful creature as a grass emerald, the first I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteHi Maggie, beautiful photos as usual, I always enjoy reading your blogs of what you have seen. Don't doubt Barry as he knows about all things mothy. Never seen a Grass Emerald so I'm Emerald green with envy.
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