#angle shades

[onenicebugperday]

@travesty-majesty submitted: Awful picture but!! I saw this little guy in the east of Ireland, in a retail park! There was grass either side of the path and they were shimmying towards the tree behind me :] I don't know if the quality is good enough to identify them but I thought they were cute

I just love the way caterpillars scrunch around like lil gummy worms. Excellent. Based on shape MAYBE an angle shades moth but plain green guys can be difficult to ID without a closer look.

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Angle Shades

Phlogophora meticulosa

Image source

The angle shades is a part of the family Noctuidae. This species was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. According to Wikipedia, this moth gets its common name from the colors and marking on its wings.

Description The forewings of this moth are shaped with a sharp point. Most of the forewing is buffish as well as the head, legs, body, and antennae. The middle of the forewing is split by a triangle. The bottom of the triangle lays on the termen of the forewing or “the edge of the wing most distant from the body.” The triangle is made of layers of brown and pink. The hindwings are whitish with darker veins.

ab. roseobrunnea ab. nov [Warren], the central triangle is a rich red brown tinged with fulvous (tawny/orange), the whole wing reddish tinged, and the green shades all strongly mixed with red, the metathorax and dorsal tufts also being deep fulvous instead of green; found in São Jorge Island in the Azores

Wingspan Range: 45 - 52 mm (≈1.77 - 2.05 in)

Diet and Habitat This species eats a wide range of herbaceous plants such as Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Hop (Humulus lupulus), Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber), Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius), Bramble (Rubus fruiticosus), Hazel (Corylus avellana), birches, oak, basil, and broccoli.

They are distributed throughout Europe. Their reach spans eastto the Urals, southeast to Syria, Armenia, and Asia Minor, west to Azores, and south to Algeria. They are a strongly migratory species. It is found in a variety of habitats such as gardens, hedgerows, fens, woodland, grasslands, farmland, wetlands, heathland, and moorland.

Mating This moth is generally seen from May to October and has two generations per year. The larva overwinter in soil as pupa.

Predators This species flies mainly at night. They are presumably preyed on by nighttime predators such as bats. This moth uses its coloration to disguise itself as a wilted leaf when at rest. They can be seen during the day resting on walls, vegetation, and feces.

Fun Fact The angle shades is attracted to light and sugar.

(Source: Wikipedia [1][2], Butterfly Conservation, The Wildlife Trusts)

[catherinepapeillustration]

Some common British Moths poster.

[regnum-plantae]

Caterpillars from the garden centre

Over the summer period I’ve had a chance to meet a good number of caterpillars at work -hundreds of different plants make for a great environment to spot a variety of species. I tried to identify them and learn something new, here are the ones I encountered regularly:   

1. Acronicta psi, the grey dagger. 

2. Pieris brassicae, the large cabbage white.  

3. Trichoplusia ni, the cabbage looper.  

4. Phlogophora meticulosa, the angle shades (brown & green morphs). 

5. Operophtera brumata, the winter moth.  

6. Spilosoma lubricipeda, the white ermine. 

7. Orgyia antiqua, the rusty tussock moth. 

Aside from their name and what they look like once their metamorphosis is complete, I read about what they prefer to feed on, so that now I have an idea of where I am more likely to find them hanging around. They might be “pests” in my workplace, but these finds are often the highlight of my day too! 

[giantleopardmoth]

I fed Melon some melon as in the fruit and his head turned pink. I’m dying.

Explanation: some caterpillars have under-pigmented, semi-translucent flesh and skin. This allows the contents of the gut show through, migrating through the caterpillar as a band of colour during digestion. Usually they appear green from feeding on leaves, but the results can be dramatic depending on the meal…

Angle shades caterpillar, Phlogophora meticulosa after feeding on watermelon.

[angrymothra]

Angle shades moth 

Phlogophora meticulosa

[onenicebugperday]

@emo-ginger submitted: Can you ID this butterfly? Location is NRW Germany :)

It's a moth! An angle shades, Phlogophora meticulosa.

[onenicebugperday]

No need for identification, just wanted to share this absolutely stunning Angle shade Moth that had chosen my locker as a place to chill.

I am in love with them thank you