#drinker moth

[travelling-my-little-pony]

Gardenia Glow has met a caterpillar. (I think it is the caterpillar of the Drinker moth - Euthrix potatoria.)

On Dartmoor, in Devon, England.

[moths-daily]

can you do the drinker moth if you haven’t? its one of my faves

Moth Of The Day #129

Drinker

Euthrix potatoria

From the lasiocampidae family. They have a wingspan of 42-70 mm. They tend to inhabit damp grassland, fens, marshes, damp open woodland, scrub and ditches. They can be found in Europe.

[libraryofmoths]

Moth of the Week

Drinker

Euthrix potatoria

The drinker moth is of the family Lasiocampidae. It was described and named in 1758 by Carl Linneaus. Linneaus chose the species name potatoria as it means ‘drinker-like.’ Dutch entomologist Johannes Goedaert had previously called the moth dronckaerdt, meaning ‘drunkard,’ “because it is very much inclined to drinking” or because this moth repeatedly puts its head into water. The common name ‘drinker’ comes from the same reason.

Description This moth is distinguishable from other eggar moths by a diagonal line crossing the forewing and two white spots also on the forewing. Males are usually reddish or orangish-brown with yellow patches. Males in East Anglia are often yellowish. Females can be yellow, a pale buff, whitish, or a darker reddish-brown than the males. Male and females also differ in size and antennae shape: females are slight larger than males, and males have fluffier antennae.

Wingspan Range of Fully Grown Drinker: 45–65 mm (≈1.77 - 2.56 in)

Diet and Habitat The caterpillars of this species feed on grasses and reeds in genuses such as Alopecurus, Deschampsia, Dactylis, Elytrigia, Carex, Luzula, and other Gramineae. A few examples are Cat grass (Dactylis glomeratus), Common Reed (Phragmites australis), Reed Canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea), and Wood Small-reed (Calamagrostis epigejos).

In the spring, they feed mainly at night and can be found resting on low vegetation during the day. The larva also supposedly drink morning dew because it had been observed to repeatedly put its head in water.

This moth can be found in Europe. It is common throughout England and Ireland but tends to favor western Scotland over eastern Scotland. It prefers habitats of marshy places such as fens, riversides, tall and damp grassland, marshes, damp open woodland, scrub, and ditches. However this species does sometimes live in drier habitats such as grassy terrain and urban gardens.

Mating Adults can been seen between July and August and presumably mate during this time. There is only one generation per year. Eggs are laid mainly on the stems of grasses or reeds in small clusters.

Predators Adult moths fly at night and are presumably preyed on by nocturnal predators such as bats.

Fun Fact Both sexes of the drinker moth are attracted to light, but males are especially susceptible.

(Source: Wikipedia, Butterfly Conservation)

[kndll-art]

whiskey / drinker moth

130x215mm / watercolour

instagram

[onenicebugperday]

@chennnington submitted: No ID necessary, I just wanted to show you some very nice friends I met during my walks (Germany) 😊 I only handled them to move them to a safer location away from the road. That moth was so cute I cried a little. I think it’s a drinker? And the caterpillar is of a lettuce shark I think? Btw the lettuce shark is called Lattichmönch in German which means lettuce monk 😀

And one time I took a walk in the rain and these guys were running around everywhere 😍

Omg I'm gonna cry a little too. PILE OF SNAILS. EXCELLENT. And this moth...literally perfect. I agree it looks like a drinker moth. Lettuce shark and lettuce monk are both wonderful names. And such a fashionable fellow! 10/10 collection of friends

[belfastroadster]

500px

“I can fly!”

A drinker moth caterpillar getting a bit ahead of itself.

[giantleopardmoth]

Yeah, thanks for that, Griffin.

[travelling-my-little-pony]

Fluttershy is watching the caterpillar of a drinker moth.

On Dartmoor, in Devon, England.