Elementary, my dear reader

Moth identification is a dark art, and last night a famous quotation from Sherlock Holmes came to mind: "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." 

My version, adapted to Moth identification, is as follows: "In March, when you have eliminated all other possible identifications, then the moth is Clouded Drab, no matter how unlike the specimen is to the usual illustrations."

Clouded Drab - Orthosia incerta

I showed my first Clouded Drab last year in April (Click here to see it), and I'm sure you'll agree there is little superficial similarity between the images. Clouded Drab feeds on many broadleaf plants as a larva.

Another timely moth is the March Moth - Alsophila aescularia, which think is a rather delicate little beast:

March Moth (male)

Yet again, the females of the March Moth are wingless. It seems that there's some correlation between the cold-weather moths and flightless females (although it's not exclusive to them). There must be some advantage  in that system, but I can't quite work it out.

My first Beetle for the year is one of the Chrysomelids, or Leaf Beetles - Chrysolina staphylea. I'm seeing more of these each year since I first recorded it 3 years ago.

The Chrysomelid beetle Chrysolina staphylea

It's about the same size as a 7-spot Ladybird, and they can often be found in the same locations.

Spring?

Right on schedule, a male March Moth - Alsophila aescularia - came to light:

(It has to be a male: the female is wingless)

A quick check on a nearby chrysalis of the Large White butterfly shows that it has survived the attentions of both the parasitic wasp and hungry Great Tit. (Note the 'lassoo' of silk that it used to attach itself to the vertical wall, just about 1/3 of the way down from the top.)


Typha latifolia has variously been known as Reedmace and Bulrush. Seemingly, Bulrush is gaining in favour again.


If you peel back the outer layers of last year's leaves you might well notice some entry/exit holes. These belong to the Bulrush Wainscot, a moth which lives inside the plant as a larva and pupa:


It almost goes without saying that if you don't have Typha, you won't have Bulrush Wainscot moths, so they are very dependent on marshy/boggy habitat.

As I walked away from the Typha plants, I spotted this Evernia prunastri lichen on a willow:


One of the things I love about the internet is the way things link to each other, leading to unexpected connections. In May 2008, I showed the excellent mining bee Andrena cineraria.

That image was picked up by an artist living in Florida, and the resultant artwork has been shown here:

http://pencilandleaf.blogspot.com/2010/03/glamorous-grey-mining-bee.html

Isn't that wonderful?

Blue Sky

A wonderful spring morning dragged me out of my torpor and the hedgerow was found to be full of 7-spot Ladybirds. Every Hawthorn had a few basking in the sun. These two are on Ivy.


A few dry nights, and the moths are returning. This is the March Moth, Alsophila aescularia (male) , and is new to me.


And this is the Hebrew Character - Orthosia gothica: