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| Butterfly ID | |
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| Topic Started: Sep 16 2008, 02:56 PM (19,472 Views) | |
| Davebutterflyman | Sep 15 2016, 05:02 PM Post #701 |
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Not found it as yet Jason. |
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| JaySteel | Mar 22 2017, 01:27 AM Post #702 |
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How about this caterpillar. I found two of these in the garden today. One was floating in my pond and had to be rescued, and the other was dug up by my wife. I've seen them before in my garden and I'm assuming it's a moth? Does anyone know what species this is please? They were both about 30mm in length. Thanks.
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| JennyWren | Mar 22 2017, 08:14 AM Post #703 |
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Jay , the photo is not showing for me ..... there's a large square with the writing , This photo is no longer available
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| JaySteel | Mar 22 2017, 10:10 AM Post #704 |
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Wildlife Photographer.
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OK, thanks Jen. Try this:
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| JaySteel | Mar 22 2017, 10:28 AM Post #705 |
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Wildlife Photographer.
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Is my caterpillar a Square-spot Rustic Moth (Xestia xanthographa)? |
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| JennyWren | Mar 22 2017, 02:43 PM Post #706 |
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:thanks; Jay , both are showing now
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| Grayling | Mar 22 2017, 03:09 PM Post #707 |
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Jason, I've just looked in my copy of Jim Porter Caterpillars of the British Isles and it does look like that one although he says it is indistinguishable from the caterpillar of the Six-striped Rustic so you may have to rear it to see which one it is with any certainty
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| JaySteel | Mar 22 2017, 03:19 PM Post #708 |
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Thanks Grayling. Both specimens were released immediately after taking their photos. But I'll go with that ID. If they're indistinguishable then no one can tell me I'm wrong! lol I still have an Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar in a plastic vivarium in my dining room. I'm waiting for that to emerge as a moth so I can take its photos. My wife can't wait to see the back of it. I don't think she'd be too happy if I introduced another caterpillar just yet! |
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| Davebutterflyman | Mar 23 2017, 02:54 PM Post #709 |
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Hi Jason. As Grayling has said, there are a number of larvae that are very similar and to be sure, best reared to adult to be sure. This can easily be done and is not time consuming, due to it being in it's final instage (when you next encounter one). The larvae can be put into a holding tank, small plastic goldfish-style tank with a ventilated roof, then place around an inch of soil on the bottom of the tank (the larvae will bury itself in the soil and pupate) with a small twig stuck in the soil for the moth to crawl out onto when it emerges. You can add a few herbaceous leaves or grasses into the tank, even at the final instar stage, just in case it still wants to feed for a short while before pupating. Great shots as well. |
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| Grayling | Mar 23 2017, 03:11 PM Post #710 |
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Jason, I wonder whether that might be the Reed Dagger moth Here's a link to one - http://www.ispotnature.org/node/295738 and another http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/rainhammarshes/m/rainhammarshes-mediagallery/171383.aspx Do you think that might be the same as yours? |
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| Davebutterflyman | Mar 23 2017, 04:27 PM Post #711 |
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Looks a very good shout to me Grayling, well done. |
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| africamfan | Jun 26 2017, 11:03 PM Post #712 |
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Can someone ID this Beauty please? It came into the house when we had a very hot day last week and settled for ages.![]() |
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| Pam M | Jun 26 2017, 11:13 PM Post #713 |
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Hi Sue, it`s a Scarlet Tiger Moth, he`s lovely isn`t he. https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/callimorpha-dominula/ |
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| africamfan | Jun 27 2017, 05:17 PM Post #714 |
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Thank you Pam! Oh so he is a Moth not a Butterfly? I don't know how to tell the difference. I think I will treat myself to a book to ID with. I have bird ID books but nothing for Moths and Butterflies. Your link won't work for me for some reason. |
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| Davebutterflyman | Jun 27 2017, 05:28 PM Post #715 |
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A sunning species as well Suzy and it might be eligible for our moth photo challenge. |
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| Geoff F | Jun 27 2017, 08:13 PM Post #716 |
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If you are going to get a book, Suzy, the Collins Complete Guide to British Insects has quite a good butterflies/moths section and is fairly user friendly. Also A Comprehensive Guide to Insects of Britain & Ireland by Paul Brock The fully comprehensive moths books can be rather intimidating for a beginner. I have Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain & Ireland by Waring & Townsend which is good for double checking the difficult species but when browsing through while looking to identify a new species to me I usually start with one of the other simplified books with larger photographs. A few years ago I found the Collins Butterfly Guide at a secondhand book stall so I quickly grabbed it. But too late, I realised that it was for Britain and Europe; so it is full of European species which makes for unnecessary confusion. with all those species which never occur here. |
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| africamfan | Jun 27 2017, 11:34 PM Post #717 |
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Thanks Dave. Funny you mention the challenge because I have just posted on the spotting discussion thread, saying how I don't understand the challenge thing, I don't know where to find the info on it. |
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| africamfan | Jun 27 2017, 11:41 PM Post #718 |
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Thank you for all that information Geoff, that's helpful. To start with I just want a light weight pocket size book that I can carry in my rucksack or pocket when on one of my walks. I find it's heavy enough with my 2 camera's (one is just a small grab shot) batteries, binoculars etc. So the lighter the books I have the better. |
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| Davebutterflyman | Jun 28 2017, 08:46 PM Post #719 |
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Nothing worse than lugging heavy field guides around. |
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| Geoff F | Jun 28 2017, 08:58 PM Post #720 |
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And some of them are such complex definitive works about an entire subject, including all the rare options, that you have no chance of getting an identification without spending a lot of time with a microscope! |
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9:52 AM Jul 11
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Jay , the photo is not showing for me ..... there's a large square with the writing , This photo is no longer available





9:52 AM Jul 11


