More moths!

MetalMoth · #1 (**permalink**) 29-07-2010, 11:29 AM

Thought I would start a new thread for my next batch of pics. Got some Beauty's to start off with:

All 3 of them I can't decide between Mottled or Willow:

1:

2:

3:

I had this pic (below) identified in an earlier thread as a Mottled Beauty, but I am not sure now since re-looking at it. What do you think? :

JRsbugs · #2 (**permalink**) 29-07-2010, 01:40 PM

Pale Oak Beauty Hypomecis punctinalis

Janet

JRsbugs · #3 (**permalink**) 29-07-2010, 01:43 PM

This one looks like a Great Oak Beauty

peter2009 · #4 (**permalink**) 29-07-2010, 03:02 PM

All 4 picture's are Willow Beauty.

JRsbugs · #5 (**permalink**) 29-07-2010, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter2009

All 4 picture's are Willow Beauty.

I concede

I think it pays to look at more than one source of photos, which I usually do. Looking at Hants Moths I can see they are different.

MetalMoth · #6 (**permalink**) 30-07-2010, 10:51 AM

Thanks guys. So just to check, you both believe all the pictures to be of Willow Beauty?

JRsbugs · #7 (**permalink**) 30-07-2010, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetalMoth

Thanks guys. So just to check, you both believe all the pictures to be of Willow Beauty?

After checking the pics on Hants Moth, yes. My Willow Beauty have a darker patch where the two lines meet, but they ae variable and all else fits.

I checked my pics from last year, I feel sure I have a Pale Oak Beauty!

MetalMoth · #8 (**permalink**) 01-08-2010, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRsbugs

After checking the pics on Hants Moth, yes. My Willow Beauty have a darker patch where the two lines meet, but they ae variable and all else fits.

I checked my pics from last year, I feel sure I have a Pale Oak Beauty!

What is this Hants Moth site you speak of? Sounds like it is a good source of pics. I just use Googe Images!

It is interesting that the last pic was ID'd here by you two as Willow Beauty as in my old thread here it was ID'd as Mottled. I personally find them very tricky to do, especially as they can vary and obviously vary due to levels of wear and tear!

Miss Caretaker · #9 (**permalink**) 02-08-2010, 06:50 AM

Hantsmoths is a site run by the Hampshire micro moth county recorder and is a great site for identifying moths as is UKMoths. The Norfolk moths site is also good and I have only just found that after being directed to it by a WAB member. I would advise against using google images in favour of the above sites as they contain much more information and the likelihood of misidentified photos is much lower.
Jo

JRsbugs · #10 (**permalink**) 02-08-2010, 03:40 PM

Sorry for the delayed reply (had internet or BT line trouble so am way behind!).

Thanks Jo for the info, I also use Norfolk moths, I google too as it sometimes brings up other good sites which I put in my favourties just to end up googling again! It brings up the good sites anyway, and seems easier than looking in my favourites or I google Hants Moths

Now I usually hover between two sites, also using UKMoths but it doesn't hurt to look elsewhere as you can often find other moths you haven't yet named! I did that yesterday trying to find a moth I had a couple of weeks ago, and it had come again but I could not find it or which family it was in! I came across
this site, and found a moth in Pyralidae called Gymnancyla canella which looked similar, so I looked for it on UKMoths. It looked very different there, but there was a mention of another genus which it resembled and that's how I found it, Phycitodes binaevella spot on.

There's another site which has several thumbnails on a page for micros, making it easy to look through, Holmes next the Sea but again I usually come across it by googling.

When looking at these similar moths it's important to check all the patterns, lines etc, there may only be slight differences but if you keep looking they become as clear as mud in the end.

By using different sites you are more likely to come across wildly different variations too.