Flightless, female moth with dark, silky sheen

[Bruce Williams]

Stockgrove Country Park, Beds. 4th March 2010. On fence separating coniferous wood from meadows.

This one looked quite different from others that I have photographed previously. She looked very shiny - almost iridescent and her abdomen looked hairy rather than scaly as in the Winter moth (see pic3 for comparison). Her abdomen seemed quite flattish and I wondered if she had laid all or some of her eggs?

Help with identification appreciated:



Winter moth (female) for comparison.


Bruce

[peter2009]

Bruce
That would be a Pale Brindled Beauty.

peter

[Bruce Williams]

Thanks for your help Peter. I managed to locate a few photos of females (there are hundreds of pics of males) on the web and yes that looks a very close fit.

Bruce