Plume Moth

This is a variety of Plume Moth, or Platyptilia. There are lots of different varieties so I won't pretend I know exactly which it is. All I know is that it was the one that was taking a break on the dining room wall.

Looking at those wings you might wonder how it is able to generate enough lift to actually fly but what you cannot see is that the full wings are folded underneath and when they are extended in flight they have the sort of profile that you would expect to see.

A Small Dusty Wave

 I very much doubt that when you saw the title of this post  you thought that I was referring to a moth but that is exactly what you have got.

The Small Dusty Wave is a small European moth, varieties of this moth are found across Europe from Moscow in the east to Spain and the Mediterranean, even as far south as Morocco and Tunisia (so it is not limited to Europe). They are quite common in England and Wales, they are found in the east of Scotland only and they are rare in Ireland.

Small and dusty is a good description, this specimen has a wingspan of just 17mm typically they are between 19 -21mm and it would be easy to miss it laying flat against the wall of my house.

It was easy enough to get the shot from above but getting the face on shots was quite tricky simply because it was pressed so flat against the wall it was hard to get a good angle. You can see that I used a very narrow field of view thanks to my Canon 100mm Macro lens.

You've gotta let me fly!

This is perhaps one of the most easily recognisable butterflies with its distinctive pattern of spots that resemble closely the pattern of a Peacocks' feathered tail. The pattern has the effect of startling and confusing predators as well as being stunningly beautiful.

I was able to capture this shot as the butterfly paused very briefly on a dried stem and opened its wings to absorb some afternoon sun.