The moth trap regularly brings in species that I have not seen previously in my garden. Last night, a new species was the satin moth (Leucoma salicis).
White satin moth
At first glance, this is similar to the yellow-tailed moth (Euproctis similis) but there are several differences, including size.
Yellow-tailed moth
Another new species seen was campion (Sideridis rivularis).
Campion moth
The vapourer moth is very common but it hasn’t turned up in my moth trap until last night. This species has flightless females.
Vapourer moth
Recently, I’ve been making the effort to identify some of the tiny micro-moths. Starting on the left and moving clockwise, the following picture shows bee moth (Euzophera pinguis), golden brown tubic (Crassa unitella) and gold triangle (Hypsopygia costalis).
Micro-moths
The bee moth is one of several species that cause problems for beekeepers by damaging the combs in beehives when they are in storage. The larvae of the golden-brown tubic feed on fungi and dead bark, whilst the larvae of the gold triangle feed on dry vegetable matter, such as hay and straw.