Thursday 31 July 2014

A thorny question

As well as Dusky Thorns in my garden trap this week, I also had the 2 individuals below. I believe the first is an August Thorn (quite orange in colour and the wings held at a shallow angle), while the second is a September Thorn (paler in colour and the wings held at a steeper angle). Confirmation would be very helpful.



In addition, I would be grateful for help with the moth below. The forewing measures 17mm, and I thought perhaps Dusky Brocade?


Steve Trigg, Cookham
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3 comments:

  1. Dave Wilton31 July 2014 at 10:47

    Hello Steve, your Thorns are correct. The third moth I would find quite difficult to decide between Nutmeg and Dusky Brocade based on that picture. Your moth looks fresh, which would fit with second-brood Nutmeg, and I haven't seen Dusky Brocade for a few weeks now. However, the eyes should clinch it - have a look at them with a 10x hand lens or similar and you should be able to see whether or not they are hairy (hairs = Nutmeg, no hairs = Dusky Brocade).

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  2. Peter Hall31 July 2014 at 15:10

    Let us know what you find Steve. Failing the eye test, you can always pop it over for the operating theatre.

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  3. Steve Trigg31 July 2014 at 20:38

    Many thanks for the expert advice. I wasn't entirely happy with my id of Dusky Brocade, and having looked at the moth again I think Nutmeg is a much better fit. I am pretty sure the eyes are hairy, although I do need to invest in a much better hand lens. Thanks also for confirming the Thorns.

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