Recent moths for me have included one or two that I captured as larvae. This one was a caterpillar in an untidy spinning on Oak at Combe Hill, by Wendover:
And this is what it originally looked like:
For a while I was thinking it was Acrobasis repandana, but at the last minute changed my mind. Acrobasis consociella, surely.
This Argyresthia emerged from a collection of berries and shoots from Juniper bushes at Aston Rowant Nature Reserve. The problem with keeping these things in plastic bags is, when a moth does emerge, it often rubs its wings against the bag; and this is what has happened here, with a fair bit of scale loss:
Consequently I am not yet sure which species it is. A. dilectella is currently favourite, but there are several other possibilities. Whatever, it will be new to me.
I felt a certain responsibility when a female Shuttle-shaped Dart donated a load of eggs (at Chorleywood). The babies are coming along nicely, consuming Dandelion leaves at a good rate:
Nursery:
Junior school:
Hi Andy,
ReplyDeleteYour adult is certainly Acrobasis consociella. The larva has the same basic markings as those shown for the species on lepiforum.de although yours is much more colourful!