FWIW The musings of a webmaster Sunday 29 July 2007 What's this?

 

Moth of the moment

 

Scarcity value is sometimes dependant upon location.  I recently found the smart fellow in the big picture above resting on my geraniums.  I know nothing about moths but I couldn't recall having seen one like it before so I took his picture and e-mailed it to a colleague who knows about these things.

 

Apparently it is a 'Jersey Tiger' moth. My colleague tells me they are quite scarce in the UK, and are found mostly in Devon.  This one had obviously got blown over the border in all the recent wind and rain and ended up in our window box.

 

My colleague seemed quite excited about it, so I decided to e-mail the photo to the Somerset Moth Group.  (I didn't even know that there was such a group until I Googled 'moth + Somerset'!)  I received a very nice note from one of their members who said "Yes this moth seems to be spreading into Somerset (from Devon) - one or two were seen around Taunton last year so this is very exciting." My picture now graces the Somerset Moth Group's excellent website: http://www.somersetmothgroup.org.uk/ under 'latest sitings'!

 

Now being the sort of guy I am I wanted to know more about this "fine moth". I have learned that it is found in South and Central Europe, and in Britain on the Channel Islands and some parts of the south coast of Devon. Unlike most other moths, these tiger moths are active by day.

 

In July and August they can be found in great numbers in wooded valleys on islands like Rhodes (in The Valley of the Butterflies) and Paros in Greece, and a Turkish island in Ölu Deniz, the Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately, on some of these islands their numbers have declined as a result of disturbance by tourists.

With their wings folded they are well camouflaged, but when they show their red hind wings with black spots they are very colourful. The caterpillars are dark brown with yellow stripes along their back and the sides of their body. They feed on Bramble and Stinging nettle. (And, presumably, geraniums.)

 

So it's quite exciting to have 'discovered' this moth. It is also proof that you don't always have to travel abroad to see something exotic.  Sometimes you just have to stay at home and pay attention - you never know what may come to you!

 

Blessings from all of us at St. Andrew's Church in Taunton UK.

 

Adrian

 

Webmaster

NOTE: I am the webmaster of St. Andrew's Church, not clergy or a reader.  I write as 'a man in a pew' so you should not assume that I necessarily know what I'm talking about, or that what I say reflects the views of other people in our church.

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