Small Eggar
Eriogaster lanestris is a scarce species in the UK and is thought still to be in decline. In our area the moth seems to be confined to the west of Oxfordshire and the very north of Bucks but even there it is rarely recorded, perhaps in part because of its very early flight period. Some of you may recall that I was lucky enough to stumble upon a larval nest on a mixed hawthorn and blackthorn hedge near Olney in Bucks at the beginning of June last year. I liberated a dozen caterpillars to rear through at home and the first of them emerged today, this lovely female. Looks like I shall have to take a trip up north again to try and find her a mate!
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| Small Eggar, 15th March |
Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks
Oh wow what a beautiful moth! I hope she finds some male company.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, aren't they?! I took her back to the same hedge at Olney this evening and waited for 90 minutes while she "called" for a male with her pheromones, but none appeared. Left her there in the hope she'll do better on her own!
ReplyDeleteNice moth.
ReplyDelete