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| Bordered White (Bupalus piniaria) |
On Wednesday 15 July, we came across the Bordered White, which is a species new to Shandy Hall. It appears in an extraordinary variation of colors, even for just the northern specimens; the ones at Shandy Hall were a tawny color. We happened upon three at once, and all of them were males - distinguishable by their feathery antennae. The Bordered White's scientific name is Bupalus piniaria, which references Bupalus, a 6th century Greek sculptor, and pinus, the pine-tree genus (a foodplant), respectively.
The Bordered White's flight season is generally May-June, but it can be found as late as July and early August in northern Britain, fitting with our discovery. It is interesting that it is listed as a resident and common species in our Field Guide, yet in the multiple years Shandy Hall has been moth-trapping, one hasn't shown up - which makes it even more intriguing this late in the season!
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| Bordered White (♀7 ♂6) Plate 57 |
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| Footnote to Plate 57 |
My favorite moth from today's trapping is the Shoulder-striped Wainscot. What I like the most about its appearance is how the two dark lines (the shoulder-stripes) make the light-colored wings look like skeletal hands, or at first glance, almost translucent.
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| Shoulder-striped Wainscot (Leucania comma) |
