Royal family

Penny and I had the good fortune to go on a boat trip from Windsor to Weybridge yesterday, and to thank the friends involved, we took along the Emperor moth which came to my trap on Thursday night. I happened to email our indefatigable webmaster Dave Wilton en route, and he prophesied that if the empress was travelling in the dark, we might find that by the time we reached Windsor, she had company.

Sure enough, she did - an excellent laying of eggs which should ensure enjoyable breeding over the next few months. If anyone would like some, do let me know - martinswainwright@gmail.com - and we can make arrangements. I am assuming that they are fertile and will hatch.

I popped the docile empress on a riverside willow at Runnymede and she was there, dozing away, when we got back to the boat after an hour's exploration on land. We were too late back to put the trap out last night but it will certainly shine tonight. What wonderful weather, for us as well as the moths.  Martin Wainwright, Thrupp, Oxon