Ypsolopha scabrella – Quite an extraordinary looking little moth with distinctive raised tufts which can be seen when the moth is at rest. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 20th July 2017 Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire
Silene latifolia – This is one of my favourite wild flowers, and it is always a pleasure to see on my walks. According to fossil records it was introduced to Britain during the Bronze Age. It flowers between May and October across much of Britain, except the far north and west. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera… Read More White Campion
Acleris variegana – An extremely variable micro-moth species in patterning and colouration. A melanic form also occurs. Like other similar species of Tortrix, it mimics bird-droppings to evade predation. The larvae feed on the leaves of a variety of trees and shrubs, including roses, brambles, hawthorns, cherries and apples. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon… Read More Garden Rose Tortrix
Mormo maura – You know when this one pays a visit because it is fairly large with a wingspan of up to 65mm (2 1/2in). Not one of the brightest of moths, but it has an interesting, fine-lined pattern. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 26th August 2017 Place: Attracted to moth… Read More Old Lady
Euzophera pinguis – Quite an unmistakable micro-moth with distinctive zig-zag markings. The larvae feed under the living bark of ash, which if becoming infested may kill the tree. This is a localised species in England. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 20th July 2017 Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire… Read More Ash-bark Knot-horn
Emmelina monodactyla – An odd-looking moth which often rests with its wings rolled tightly up. It is quite a weak flier, and will only travel a short distance before settling down again. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 8th July 2017 Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire
Notodonta dromedarius – A moth which looks like it is suffering from oxidation with its distinct red rusty markings. One of the easier of the night lepidoptera to photograph. They are fairly calm and will remain still for a long time. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 20th July 2017 Place: Attracted… Read More Iron Prominent
Euthrix potatoria – An unusual moth. This is the female of the species. The name comes from the habit of the caterpillar which apparently has a preference for drinking drops of dew. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 Date taken: 26th June 2011 Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire
Cyclophora punctaria – A finely detailed and beautifully coloured moth from the family Geometridae. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 20th July 2017 Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire
Omphaloscelis lunosa – There is a dark ‘crescent moon’ marking on the pale underwing of this moth which gives it its name. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 23rd, 24th & 30th September 2017 Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire
Tiliacea aurago – Although this is somewhat faded, it is quite an attractive moth with autumnal colours and a very diagnostic yellow or yellow-orange central band. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 15th October 2017 Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire
Pempelia palumbella – This is another rarity for my county, and only a few have been noted by the Staffordshire Ecological Record, most of these before 1995, the first in 1877. I really like the colours and patterns on this moth. It kind of reminds me of Inca art and design. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera… Read More Heather Knot-horn
Hemistola chrysoprasaria – This is rarely seen in my county, and there has only been but a handful of ecologically recorded sightings since the first one in 1967, this one being one of them. A beautiful green moth with distinctive pale crosslines. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 8th July 2017 Place:… Read More Small Emerald
Ypsolopha dentella – If you grow honeysuckle in your garden the chances are you may have some of these. This is a chestnut-brown and cream to whitish patterned micro-moth with distinctive upturned wingtips. It has a forewing length of around 11mm ( almost half an inch). Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken:… Read More Honeysuckle Moth
Cameraria ohridella – One can easily overlook this tiny micro-moth as it is only has a forewing length of up to 5mm (1/4in) long. The forewings have an attractive ginger ground colour with distinctive white cross-bands and dark-brown cross-lines. It was first recorded in the south of Britain in 2002 and has rapidly spread north… Read More Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner
Carcina quercana – This is a fairly colourful moth with very long antennae. Is also called the Oak Long-horn. It has recently been introduced to North America where it is called the Oak-skeletonizer Moth. Copyright: Peter HillmanCamera used: Nikon D7200Date taken: 8th July 2017Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire Want to learn more… Read More Long-horned Flat-body
Macroglossum stellatarum – I feel quite privileged to have been able to take these photographs of this splendid hawk-moth. I took them quite a few years ago with my first digital camera purchase back in the summer of 2005, and haven’t been able to capture one in flight and feeding since back then. A spectacular… Read More Hummingbird Hawk-moth
Pyrausta aurata – Also called the Small Purple & Gold, this moth has always been a regular visitor to my garden, yet I have always grown mint, so that is not really very surprising. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 20th July 2017 Place: Rear garden, Staffordshire
Deilephila elpenor – This hawk-moth always reminds me of a fond time during my boyhood when my brother and I discovered the caterpillar for this moth, and subsequently watched it pupate and turn into this magnificent adult. Hawk-moths can be quite docile creatures in the daytime, and they will let you handle them readily, and… Read More Elephant Hawk-moth
Mimas tiliae – This is a large and impressive hawk-moth with scalloped-edged forewings and olive-green and pinkish markings. The central dark forewing markings may be variable, and in some individuals may be joined to form a cross-band. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon Coolpix P500 Date taken: 26th June 2013 Place: Attracted to moth trap,… Read More Lime Hawk-moth
Monopis laevigella – A tiny micro-moth with a forewing length of between 5-10mm (1/4-3/8in). The wings have a purple sheen peppered with pale scales and a pale blotch just off centre on the forewing. The larvae feed on animal foodstuffs like bird’s nests, owl pellets and dead animal carcasses. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon… Read More Skin Moth
Adela reaumurella – This is the male with his extraordinary long white antennae, which are three times the length of the forewing. The adult flies in May and June, and in the daytime, where they may swarm. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D3200 Date taken: 4th May 2015 Place: Local wood, Staffordshire
Another one from last autumn. I love how the colour of the flowers of Hydrangeas change with the seasons. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 12th October 2019 Place: Rear garden, Staffordshire
Mycena rosea More of this beautifully coloured mushroom from the woods. October 2019. Nikon D7200 © Pete Hillman.
Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme) There appeared to be hundreds of these tiny balls swarming over a mound of earth near the river. They are apparently feeding off a buried stump, and are usually seen in large numbers. October 2019. Nikon D7200 © Pete Hillman.
Not sure about this one. Might be Milking Bonnet (Mycena galopus), but did not want to snap it to see if it seeped milk or not. It seemed a shame to do so. Quite easy to miss on the woodland leaf carpet because it is so small … the bonnet about the size of a… Read More Small And Fragile
Of x3 photos. Spectacular Rustgill (Gymnopilus junonius), as it says in the title, and you can see why by its vivid colour. There was quite a cluster growing out of a rotting tree stump in the local wood. October 2019 © Pete Hillman.
Of x3 images. This is one of the larger mushrooms I spotted today, and I couldn’t really miss it as it had the diameter of a side plate. It is simply called Parasol (Macrolepiota procera), and you can see why. This is one to keep the elves and fairies dry in the rain 😉 Local… Read More Brolly For The Fairies
Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes). Local wood. October 2019 © Pete Hillman.
Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon). Local wood. October 2019 © Pete Hillman.
I believe this is Rosy Bonnet (Mycena rosea), very closed related to Mycena Pura, and in fact they may well be one and the same species. I spotted this beautful pair in the local wood this morning as I went on my first mushroom hunt of the season. Muddy knees indeed! October 2019 © Pete… Read More Beautiful In Pink
This is a hardy Geranium after rain, one of the few remaining flowers left in the garden as autumn deepens. The flower is so delicate and refined with those shimmering raindrops it is like it is made from the finest glass. This can be quite tricky to photograph. Besides the lighting conditions, it all depends… Read More Like Ornamental Glass
By my plant pot full of moss I have a strip of bark leaning against some heather. Occasionally I will lift it to see what is sheltering in the dark and damp place it helps create there. Clinging to the underneath of the bark I found a 5-7mm (around 1/4 inch) Discus Snail (Discus rotundatus).… Read More Under A Strip of Bark
This is but a small plant pot, and I know you may think this odd, but I just grow a clump of moss in it all year round and nothing more. It appears to attract some varied wildlife (especially if you lift it up and look underneath it) and this Philodromus sp. crab spider was… Read More That Plant Pot Again
I was photographing another species of spider on a plant pot (a lot seems to happen on this plant pot for some reason?) and this one came along. I think it is a young Clubiona sp. and it was so small it was getting lost amongst the moss leaves. The darn thing would not keep… Read More Moss Becomes A Jungle
This is the Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea), which I discovered in my garden the other day. They are good at devouring greenfly, so can be one of the gardener’s best buddies. It belongs to the order mentioned in the title ‘Neuroptera’ – which contains the ‘net-winged insects’ such as lacewings, antlions and mantidflies. One… Read More Neuroptera
Celypha lacunana – This variable moth has a forewing length of up to 8.5mm (3/8in), and is a common species which can be numerous visiting moth traps. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 15th July 2019 Place: Attracted to moth trap, rear garden, Staffordshire
Philodromus sp. Rear garden. September 2019 © Pete Hillman.
Of x2 images. Yep, it is that time of the year you will find these large flies attracted to the house lights, and before you know it you will have these gangly flying insects bouncing manically off your kitchen or bathroom ceilings and walls as you either try to swat them or catch them. I… Read More Arrival of The Daddy Longlegs
This is a new species for me in the garden. It is the Pine Ladybird (Exochomus quadripustulatus). It is quite small between 3 to 4mm long. It has a distinct rim around the base of the wingcases. Although it is mainly found where Pine grows, it also likes Hawthorn which I happen to have in… Read More A Little Red On Black
