Copper underwing
Maiden's blush
marbled beauty
Water veneer
Horse-chestnut leaf miner
Yponomeuta plumbella
Micropterix calthella
Grateful for corrections/confirmations
Alan Diver
Tackley
A Blog for moth recorders in Bucks, Berks and Oxon
Not sure about the Water Veneer - these are usually plain greyish white - you one looks more like a Udea? How big was it? http://ukmoths.org.uk/species/acentria-ephemerella/
ReplyDeleteMark is correct, your Water Veneer looks like Udea lutealis, which is considerably bigger than Acentria ephemerella. I can't do the last one, but calthella has finshed a while ago. I agree with the others. How did you get the Copper Underwing to turn over and be still?
ReplyDeleteI think the last two pictures are most likely a coleophorid.
ReplyDeleteWith the Copper Underwing, you really need to man-handle the moth and open out the wings on one side to see the extent of the copper marking on the hind-wing underside (it isn't sufficiently clear in your picture). I do this by ensuring that the moth is facing upwards in a pot, put my first two fingers on top of it inside the pot with the thumb ready to go underneath when it tries to hurtle out. Gripped securely like that it should be easy to turn the moth over and gently open the wings on one side. Once you've developed the technique it can be done quickly and easily with little damage to the moth other than the loss of a few scales. It isn't for the squeamish though as they're slippery little things and for some reason (can't think why!) they seem to object to the process...
Very grateful for your comments and advice.
ReplyDeletePeter, I was lucky with Copper underwing. It was in a shallow petri dish the right way up and I slowly turned it over and it tried to right itself but didn't have room. I put it to one side and eventually it was still and, having set up the shot I gently opened the lid and was quickly able to capture shot before it realised it could move!
With my water veneer it isn't that or a udea. I should have measured it in the first place, it's too big at FL nearly 20mm. I'll post new side shot. Not sure will help with ID because it's a worn whatever it is!
Alan