16 September 2020 - Frosted Orange

Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago)
Not a frequent visitor to the gardens but welcome when it does put in an appearance.  The first Frosted Orange was recorded on 1 October 2013 and a description of its habitat and why it carries the name of Gortyna flavago can be seen through this link 

Beaded Chestnut (Agrochola lychnidis)
That characteristic common to many moths, the kidney mark, seems to be the main identification guide to distinguish the Brown-spot Pinion (Agrochola\litura), from the Beaded Chestnut. The moth in the photograph has a narrow kidney mark which, hopefully, points us in the right direction. An extremely active moth, it rushes in short bursts with its antennae waving vigorously.

Described by Michael Denis (1729 - 1800, catholic priest, poet and lepidopterist) and Ignaz Schiffermuller (1727 - 1806, fellow Austrian and naturalist) the Beaded Chestnut is reasonably secure in North Yorkshire and occurs mainly in the south.  It flies in September and October.

(Acleris variegana)
Scroll back to the 1 September and you will see another example of this moth, one that created some confusion owing to the colours of its wings.  That earlier Garden Rose Tortrix was nearly completely white whereas this one is tawny and rusty and carries a sort of black hole as its emblem.  Easy to photograph as it stays in one spot.