A moth or butterfly?

[emf]

Hello everyone.

I saw this tiny thing on my cotoneaster today, flying around and basking in the sun on the leaf. I've looked everywhere to try and identify it. I even went out and bought a book on butterflies/moths but can't determine what it is from there. (But then I am very new at this identifying butterfly thing!)

It's really small - no more than a centimetre long or wide and looks more purple than brown.

If anyone can help I'll be eternally grateful. It's been bugging me all day!

[jezlee]

Originally Posted by emf

Hello everyone.

I saw this tiny thing on my cotoneaster today, flying around and basking in the sun on the leaf. I've looked everywhere to try and identify it. I even went out and bought a book on butterflies/moths but can't determine what it is from there. (But then I am very new at this identifying butterfly thing!)

It's really small - no more than a centimetre long or wide and looks more purple than brown.

If anyone can help I'll be eternally grateful. It's been bugging me all day!

Hi emf and welcome to WAB!!

I think you'll find this is a little blighter called the Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata) and if you click on the link below to my web site, you'll find a few more details about it!

http://www.uknature.co.uk/P.Aurata-info.html

Hope you find the WAB site as interesting and informative as all the rest of us do, and you'll find it's ideal for identifying these strange things we come across in our gardens or out on walks etc

[Jonny]

Excellent..........We caught one in the trap last weekend and I was wondering what it was, very pretty moth................Jon

[matt_xyz]

I uploaded a shot of what appears to be the same moth into the Wildlife Unidentified Gallery very recently.

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-11383.html

I'm interested to hear it may be a Mint Moth.

Matt

[Jonny]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

I uploaded a shot of what appears to be the same moth into the Wildlife Unidentified Gallery very recently.

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-11383.html

I'm interested to hear it may be a Mint Moth.

Matt

Thats a lovely shot you have of it there Matt.................Jon

[John]

It probably is a Pyrausta aurata and here is a link to one. http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=965

But the fly in the ointment is the Pyrausta purpuralis. Here is a link to that moth.

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1182

Your moth is worn and I wonder if some markings are now missing.

The one in the unidentified gallerey could be the latter moth but I am no expert on them so I could be wrong.

John

[jezlee]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

I uploaded a shot of what appears to be the same moth into the Wildlife Unidentified Gallery very recently.

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-11383.html

I'm interested to hear it may be a Mint Moth.

Matt

Yes, very nice pic, Matt .... I think you'll find that one is P. purpuralis - you can actually see the purple-red colouring on the wings and it has the extra blotches of gold on the forewings - P.aurata only has the single gold spot, I believe ....

[matt_xyz]

thanks all for your comments. It does sound like P. purpuralis and looks very much like the the one in the link provided by John. (I'm impressed the estimated size is even the same as mine at 20mm!). I've also looked it up in a book I have - didn't spot it in my book before as the moth in the book has its wings folded back.

Matt

[emf]

Thank you all so much for your quick response and identification, I can now stop pondering about it! Mint moth isn't in the book I bought.

And it figures that it's a mint moth because, not a foot away from the cotoneaster is, yes, you guessed it - a clump of mint!

[Jonny]

Can someone confirm mine is the same please...............Jon