My initial thoughts on potting this up overnight on 17th August in my garden in Wolvercote, Oxfordshire, were that it was Knot Grass or Poplar Grey - but a quick glance in better light in the morning seemed to imply otherwise. My next theory was Pale-shouldered Brocade, and it does seem to have some features in common with that, but the lack of a broad black bar in the centre of the forewing seems pretty damning in that context (and a number of photos on the blog over the past few years of Pale-shouldered don't look especially similar). So I'm left undecided between Pale-shouldered and quite a range of other species - brindles, nutmegs, etc. Its forewing length was about 20mm. I'd be grateful if anyone could shed some light.
Unknown macro, 17/8/21
Have you considered Copper Underwing?
ReplyDeletePhil T
Hi Phil -- not really (I'm familiar with the species -- I've already had quite a few this year -- and the specimen didn't really send me in that direction).
ReplyDeleteHi Steve,
ReplyDeleteThis one appears regularly to catch out the unwary - it is a second-brood Nutmeg. Not really visible from the photo, but the first thing I notice with the moth in one's hand is that it is clearly a wimp of a noctuid, nowhere near as "chunky" as the other species you've been looking at!
Ha! -- thank you, Dave. That makes good sense: its wimpiness may be what sent me in the direction of Knot Grass or similar at very first sight. I'll have to check, but I think that may be a first for me. I'm slightly relieved the nutmeg species were at least on my radar for it.
ReplyDelete