Sunday 11 August 2013

Up North

I was outside doing some gardening this afternoon when I came across this moth, which I'm fairly certain I haven't seen in the garden before. I also had no idea what the moth was so I had to look it up.

Given the number of books in our house you shouldn't be surprised to find that I actually have two moth books; a photographic guide by Chris Manley and an illustrated one by Waring, Townsend and Lewington. While the illustrated one contains more textual information I find the photographic one easier to hunt through, so that was where I started.

It didn't take me too long to identify the moth as a Sallow (or in Latin Xanthia icteritia) the only problem is that the photographic guide suggests that common throughout Britain during September and October. Now I know the weather has been confusing the wildlife this year but we aren't even half way through August yet.

Fortunately the more detailed, illustrated guide came to the rescue. It says that there is one generation a year which flies September and October in the south and August and September in the north. So I'm guessing Penistone is in the north; thank goodness for that!
12 August 2013 at 12:45 , Graham Edwards said...

Yes, Mark, Penistone is definitely in the North. After all imagine being accused of being from the South!

12 August 2013 at 13:34 , Mark said...

Almost as bad as being mistaken for a Lancastrian :)

12 August 2013 at 13:46 , Graham Edwards said...

Tha's bein a bit cheeky there la.

15 August 2013 at 13:48 , Jenny Woolf said...

Beautiful colouring. If I were decorating a room (which I am not) I would probably get inspiration from it. The green, though, might do for the paintwork in the hall...

17 October 2013 at 16:26 , Wimsey Productions said...

Wow! Found your blog through the coffee reference, then pleasantly surprised to find such interesting moths... and things!

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