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Old 23-07-2007, 06:05 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Sacha Sacha is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,995
Default ID Butterfly or moth

On 23/7/07 14:22, in article , "Malcolm"
wrote:


In article , Sacha
writes
I've just seen a beautiful butterfly or moth on the Japanese anemone leaves.
I fear it's taking a hammering in this constant rain but don't know what it
is or what if anything, I should do for it. It's wings are folded flat, not
spread and it has very distinctive black and white stripes on each wing with
a scarlet line down the middle of its 'back'. Anyone know what it is or if
I should put it in a jar with some of whatever it eats?

It's one of the tiger moths, probably Garden Tiger, which has bright
orange hindwings, which hardly show when the upper pair are closed.
There are one or two other tigers, including Wood, which have
black-and-white striped upper wings.

Have a look at:

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2229
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1352
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=4451
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=4500


They're not quite it. With the wings folded, there is a white stripe right
down the back with a touch of the scarlet showing. There is one broad
triangular line either side of the head, from the edge of the wing to the
thorax with a broad white line below that which joins to a horiztonal white
line along the bottom of the wings. Between these two broad white lines,
there is a small triangle of white.
A bit of red is visible at the tail and the feelers are black & white too.
If that description is too muddly, may I email you a photo?
In the meantime, I've picked it and the leaf it's on and put them just
inside the open porch but out of the rain. When it wants to, it can fly off
with no trouble.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'