Craniophora ligustri – This is the first time I have seen this beautifully coloured and patterned moth. It appears to be a nice fresh specimen expressing olive hues, which I intially found resting on my garage wall. It is widely distributed across most of Britain, but it is not a common species.


Double-click images for a closer look.
Beautiful designs on the wing!
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Dressed and ready for a ball.
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Wow, wonderful. A moth deluxe π Great shot!
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Thank you!
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How exciting to find a species never seen before (well, I know I would be excited π ). A very attractive pattern too.
Did you manage to identify it easily?
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I was excited! Most moths I can name from memory, but I did not know what this one was. I have several books here which helped me, and a local moth group helped confirm it online. It is rare in my area, and there are no records for miles around. I hope all is well there with your move.
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Thanks Pete. All’s well except that my apartment looks like a rubbish heap as I pull things out to see if I wanted to keep or re-home them. Finished dismantling my garden yesterday and re-homed a few plants I knew wouldn’t grow at the new place. Just doing a few things each day until the actual move on the 27th. I don’t want to get exhausted and bring another heart episode. π
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You have to go at your own pace, and must not over do it. Take great care there.
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Almost feathery looking. Lovely.
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Thank you!
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From the size of the scales on the wings, this seems to be a pretty small one, right? The yellowish olives are a nice touch.
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It is a small to medium-sized noctuid with a wingspan of 30-35 mm (1 3/8 in). The colours are lovely, and nice to see a moth which is not often seen in these parts.
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This is a very handsome species and nicely photographed, Pete. Maybe I’ll follow your lead and shoot some of the ones in my garage. But it is pretty dirty and in need of a painting. What is this one on? Looks like moss.
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Thank you, Steve. Yes, it is on moss. I try to photograph them on the wall in daylight if a I can, if I see them there in the morning, but if I pop out in the dark hours I pot them until morning, like I did with this one. I like natural surroundings so I use the moss (or a leaf or bark) as a backdrop. I have some growing in a plant pot just for the occasion. After the photo shoot Ilet them go in nearby shrubs.
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What a wonderful velvety cloak.
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