Some Moths during January and February

 The overnight temperatures during January and February have been generally mild for the time of year, with only three consecutive sub-zero nights in early January. By the middle of the month, a particularly mild few nights, with a pause in the incessant rain, encouraged me to get the moth-trap out. Towards the end of February, more mild and dry nights were suitable for the moth-trap.

Quite a few of the Geometridae species that breed during the winter months, or early in the season, have females that are flightless. This is more than just a coincidence but I can only conjecture the reason why. With predation reduced to a minimum (for example, bats and dormice are hibernating) and with very little competition for egg laying sites, negating the need for females to wander, then it possibly makes sense for females to become flightless in order to produce more eggs. They probably pupate on or near the foodplant and when they emerge, there is little risk in waiting nearby to be found by a male, mated and crawling off into the foliage to lay their eggs.

The first four species that follow, all have flightless females.

Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria) (male)

Dotted Border (Agriopis marginaria) (male)

Spring Usher (Agriopis leucophaearia) (3 males)

This species is very variable in its ground colour but its markings are usually constant and visible.

March Moth (Alsophila aescularia) (male)

Grey Shoulder-knot (Lithophane ornitopus lactipennis)

This individual was tempted out of hibernation in mid-January.

Totricodes alternella

On 4th January, after a very cold night, I went out into the garden with a hot kettle in order to melt the ice in the bird bath. After I started pouring, I noticed this icicle (measuring about 12 cms.) which had grown vertically upwards from the edge of the ice. I stopped pouring and dashed off to get my camera before the icicle melted through at its base. I assume it was caused by the expanding surface ice forcing water up at the edge of the bath! I have seen horizontal icicles before (on top of Scafell Pike in winter) but I think this one is a first for me.