Category Archives: Lepidoptera

From The Heart

In the month of July 1977, the Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) in the Noctuidae family was found on Whitenights campus, produced from the UK famous, Rothamsted moth trapping network, that ran a trap near Whitenights Lake from 1976-1977. This … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Insects, Lepidoptera, Moths | Leave a comment

Confused with Blues!

Currently recorded on campus are two species of blue coloured butterflies these ar: the Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and the Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus).  To the untrained eye, in flight, they look the same, and telling the difference between the … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Butterflies, Insects, Lepidoptera | Leave a comment

Buzz – The Silver Y

Summer is upon us (we hope) and signs have been emerging despite the weather. Today, whilst in the Harris Garden apart from the bees buzzing, the Silver Y moth (Autographa gamma), a regular immigrant to the UK, was extremely common … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Insects, Lepidoptera, Moths | Leave a comment

Is it a moth, is it a butterfly? Part 2 – The Small Skipper

The Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) is a charming faded orange butterfly of the UK countryside, with a black then white margin that fades into the orange of the wings, see image 1. With a wingspan up to 28mm.

Posted in Animals, Butterflies, Insects, Lepidoptera | Leave a comment

Is it a moth, is it a butterfly? Part 1 – The Skippers

As is routinely seen across the web, the Hesperiidae (the Skipper butterfly family) suffers from misidentification as moths. So when you’re out and about, and think that’s a day flying moth, stop and double-check, it could be a charming skipper … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Butterflies, Insects, Lepidoptera | 1 Comment

Something to spot, something to smell, something to taste!

Its that time of year…. the Othosian  explosion, it’s happening somewhere near you! This involves quaker moths and willow trees This is the time of year to spot some of the most abundant moth species in your garden, as well as … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Insects, Lepidoptera, Moths | Leave a comment