Wednesday, 1 July 2009

Happy birthday, dad

Emmelina monodactyla is one of the Plume Moths. These have wings that retract like a venetian blind when the moth has landed. A system of hooks and eyes keeps the wings in shape when in flight. I haven't worked out a benefit for this complex system, other than a very narrow profile when resting.


Another Episyrphus balteatus hoverfly that initially appeared to be looking for aphids, but this one was nectaring on the recently-opened Meadowsweet.


Greater birds-foot Trefoil has opened. I used to think that I had some Greater mixed amongst the ordinary, but every specimen that I have examined locally turns out to be Greater. Ordinary Birds-foot Trefoil is earlier and, in my experience, more coastal.

2 comments:

Yoke, said...

Love your Plume Moth. I had the white one indoors, this summer. Pterophorus pendtadactyla
To me it looks a complex system of wings, and although i have seen several whites drifting on the (strong)wind in front of the window, I've still to see it really fly one day.
The colour of yours is beautiful. What is its food-plant?

The White has arrived here due to the hedge Bindweed, Calystegia sepium.

Stuart said...

The larvae feed on bindweeds (Convolvulus and Calystegia spp.) Larvae have also been reported occasionally on Morning glory (Ipomoea), Chenopodium spp. and Atriplex spp.