Gatekeeper and pyrausta and ears please?

[catbee]

1. I initially thought this was a gatekeeper but am now not sure.
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2. All the other Pyrausta aurata I have seen have been a lovely maroon. This is distinctly muudy. [i]s it just a faded butterfly?

I read somewhere that this family have abdominal ears. What are these please?

Many thanks

[triops]

Several families of moths have ears! Often in the abdomen, sometimes in the thorax. The ears are used to pick up the feeding squeaks of bats, enabling the moth to take avoiding action. There is an ongoing arms race between moths and bats, with both groups continually evolving predatory techniques and avoidance strategies.

[Cuckoo Jack]

Definite Gatekeeper for me.

[htcdude]

The moth looks more like Pyrausta nigrata, but I may be wrong.

Nige

[catbee]

I'm new to this so I am sure that you are correct Nige. The colour is certainly markedly different from the many other aurata about.
Thanks for confirmation Cuckoo Jack and for info from triops.
Sorry to hark on about ears but what do these ears look like? One book says they are easy to see on Pyrausta moths.

[triops]

The best moth to see ears (for me, anyway) is The Snout, Hypena proboscidalis. Easily found flying at dusk. The ears are each side of the abdomen close to the thorax. You will need to hold down the moth on its side with the wings in an upright position and lift the flap covering the ear. You will see a transparent membrane with a nerve attached to the centre, simple and elegant. You will need a decent lens or microscope.

[catbee]

Many thanks triops. Not something to be seen in a photo then!