Common Plume Moth

A Common Plume moth resting on a bench.

At first glance this might appear to be a small twig, but it is in fact a moth! This is the Common Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla), which has some of the most amazing camouflage. Despite this particular individual resting on a bench where it stands out, it still took me quite a while to notice it!

Perhaps I can be forgiven however, as it is very small too (so much that it is classified as a micro moth)- only up to 3 cm across in fact! The caterpillars of this moth feed on Bindweeds (Convolvulus and Calystegia spp.) and Morning Glory (Ipomoea). It is a widespread species, found in a wide range of habitats across the UK. The caterpillars feed in two overlapping generations from September to May, and the adults can be seen year-round.

A photo of the top of the moth, where you can see its head.

Although it initially appears to be cross-shaped, the wings actually fold out when it flies into feathery structures, which is where it gets the name 'Plume' from. Micro moths are classified under the order Lepidoptera, the same as butterflies, which may be surprising to some considering its shape!

Plume moths belong to the family Pterophoridae, which has the distinguishing feature of a 'cleft' wing. This means that each forewing is Y-shaped, with an indent at the end of the wing, the hindwings have 2 clefts, so appear three-fingered.


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holly Leaf Miner

Image
This interesting patterning on the leaves of the Holly tree ( Ilex aquifolium ) is caused by the Holly Leaf Miner ( Phytomyza ilicis ), a parasitic leaf-mining fly in the Agromyzidae family. Its larvae burrow between the cuticles of Holly leaves, leaving a distinctive trail behind. The adult female fly lays eggs inside the soft, young leaves using her ovipositor in spring. A maximum of 5 eggs are laid per leaf, although no more than 2 become larvae, so as to avoid competition for food between individual larvae. The species is univolitine, meaning it only has one brood of young each year. This mining seemingly has no great negative effect on the host plant, presumably because not many larvae are in each leaf, and there is a high mortality rate in larvae. Old mines provide habitats for algae and mites, sheltered from predation by the leaf. A P. ilicis  mine that has been predated by a blue tit ( Cyanistes caeruleus ). Holly Leaf Miners are quite vulnerable to predation, largely by bl...
Read more

Wild Garlic

Image
This blog is about a recent trip to Lower Wood Ashwellthorpe, a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve, to look at ancient woodland indicators. One of these is Wild Garlic or Ramsons ( Allium ursinum ). Wild Garlic interspersed with English Bluebells (another ancient woodland indicator species). These beautiful white flowers coat the woodland floor during spring, and have a strong garlic scent, making them difficult to miss. Each flower has 6 bright white petals and cluster in groups of around 25 on the end of the stems, appearing like pompoms. Flowering early in the spring allows the plants to make the most of the sunlight reaching the forest floor before the canopy emerges and it is much shadier. Wild Garlic is in the same family (Alliaceae) as onions, chives, leeks, daffodils, and other garlics. It reproduces by bulb division and occasionally seeds. It provides an important nectar source for early pollinators and the bulbs are eaten by Wild Boar ( Sus scrofa ), though these are not found at...
Read more

Snowdrops

Image
Bright and cheerful, Snowdrops ( Galanthus nivalis ) bring excitement to the earliest days of spring. Whilst they are a non-native species, they act as a well-known indicator of warmer days to come when they flower in January to March. Snowdrops on campus, there was a good display this year! Growing to 15cm tall, the straight stems have drooping white flowers at the ends, leading to the name Snowdrop- drooping and white, like snow. They are found across the UK, favouring damp soils so are often found in woodlands and along riverbanks, but can also be seen in parks, gardens and meadows. They normally flower at the start of the year, but increasing numbers of sightings have been reported in December, and even some in November. Therefore they are being used to monitor climate change and its impacts on wildlife. You can report Snowdrop sightings here:  Nature's Calendar (woodlandtrust.org.uk)  . The Woodland Trust are monitoring changing climate and have a range of indicator speci...
Read more