Moth night by the bog

29:th of July
We set out to try moth-watching by a high bog surrounded by vast pine and spruce forests. No wind, no moon, but clear skies. After a slow start our expectations are overtrumphed, and it proves to be a really good night. We identify no less than 58 species on 4 sheets, some of which are beautiful and some rare.
This night´s rarities does not even have English names; Setema cereola and Cosmotriche lobulina. Both northern species on their southern limit.
Some that have include True Lover´s Knot, Dark Arches, Bordered Beauty, Scalloped Oak, Orange Swift, Rannoch Looper , Cousin German, Pale Eggar and July Highflyer, to mention but a few.
Northern Spinach, Black Arches are among the most common ones. Garden Tigers, Large Emeralds and Pine-tree Lappets are the biggest.
As you can see the sheets where pretty full sometimes.

Pine-tree Lappet

Pine-tree Lappet. A big, powerful and furry moth with a subtle beauty in reddish tones. Did soon become one of my favourites!

and from the side

Pine-tree Lappet from the side.

My Dog?

Is that your dog? No it´s just my Pine-tree Lappet! (Dendrolimus pini)

Cute as a bat

The face of a Black Arches (Lymantria monacha) ... or is it a Long-eared bat?

Hardened criminals

It looks like we´ve caught a bunch of hardened criminals in action, but in fact they are just hardened lepidopterists. Kalle, Kent and Niclas.

Cosmotriche lobulina

another northern species almost on it´s southern limit.

Arichanna melanaria

29:th of July
...even more orange yellow on the underside.

26:th of July
We´re visiting Tjärnö on the west coast of Sweden. A boat-trip into the archipelago takes us to a small islet with some good shores for scubadiving and even some nice parts for butterfly watching. To my surprise I encounter a Swallowtail, which is not only a beautiful butterfly, but also quite late in the season. I saw my first one up in Färna ekopark already in mid May. And this individual looks really fresh too. Just look at it!

Swallowtail beauty

...and watch the striped head! What a gorgeous and mysteriously beautiful creature.

Tigers and Great Grey

21:st of July 2008
We set out for a night´s moth-watching in perfect circumstances. After a day with some showers, the night becomes calm, slightly cloudy and warm. Behind the curtain of clouds a full moon is showing briefly. We haven´t more than put up the mercury lamps and white sheats, when a Great Grey Owl flies towards us and perches in a birch right next to the lamp. It allows us to approach down to 3 meters and yet still it does not move more than it´s head, gazing curiously down on us.
Across the meadow we can hear a Great Grey Owl chick begging for food. Might supper be of moths tonight?
Time flies and at 3 ´0 clock in the night we realise that we´ve just experienced a great night with plenty of good stuff on the canvas, including at least 7 gorgeous Garden Tigers, 3 Black Arches, several Large Emeralds, 2 Popplar Hawk Moths, 1 Pine Hawk Moth, and all together at least 49 species of Moth. Very exciting!