2 August 2014 - Yarrow Conch

Yarrow Conch (Aethes smeathmanniana)

Some moths have names that are repetitive and confusing, while others are named rather exquisitely. It is a delight to pronounce the name of the newest Shandy Hall moth – the Yarrow Conch (Aethes smeathmanniana).

'Yarrow Conch' does not only read well, it describes the moth perfectly. 'Yarrow' indicates the moth's main food plant (the larva feeds on knapweeds as well). The white and yellow flowers of the yarrow plants also match the palettes of the moth's wings. The wings display a backdrop of shimmery white with patches of light yellow. Two dark-brown bands cut through the moths' wings diagonally. The prominent bands are interrupted in their paths by areas of white scales.

'Conch' has two different meanings. Most commonly it is a tropical marine mollusk. The mollusk has a spiral shell with a flared lip. The wings of the Yarrow Conch are far less flamboyant, to be sure, and folded in a simple arch. The space shielded beneath the wings houses the moth's body; it is in this regard comparable to the shell cavity that houses the mollusk. 'Conch' also refers to the roof of the apse of a church. The apse is usually semi-circular in plan. The conch, therefore, is shaped like a half-dome. This imagery reinforces the architectural quality of the arched wings of the Yellow Conch.

The moth's scientific name smeathmanniana pays tribute to H. Smeathman, an entomologist who traveled from Britain to Sierra Leone in the late 1700s. 'Aethes', meaning unusual and strange, describes the moth's yellow colored wings. However, at Shandy Hall, yellow colored moths are anything but unusual – Barred Straw (Eulithis pyraliata), Buff Ermine (Spilosoma luteum), just to name a couple. But in any case, we can now add to that list with Shandy Hall Moth number 351. 

Post by Bowen Chang (UPenn)

Yarrow Conch (illustration)

23 September 2018 - Fugitive Green

Mercury Vapour Lamp trap in the Wild Garden

The majority of the moth trapping at Shandy Hall takes place in what used to be a quarry.  Stone was taken from the ground and the resulting spoil heaps formed a miniature landscape of humps and hollows.  When the supply of stone came to an end the main part of this acre of ground became a paddock. My understanding is that the pathways that meander throughout were made by horses. Three mighty ash trees grow in the centre - all fortunately free of die-back - and the grasses and plants that encircle them are maintained to encourage as much insect life as possible.

The white sheet is important.  When a moth is attracted to the light it sometimes becomes completely disorientated and fails to enter the trap at all, coming to rest just outside.  If the trap is placed directly onto grass then those moths would be very difficult to spot and would also be in danger of  being trodden upon.   

Aethes smeathmanniana

The warmth in the middle of last week brought over a hundred moths to the trap but not a huge variety of different species. A couple of Green Carpets added some colour to the congregation but the palette was mainly brown and shades of brown.

The tiny ghost-like Aethes smeathmanniana was one exception.  Only seen once before at Shandy Hall and that was one of our UPenn interns who had identified it as a new species.  Not having seen it myself I thought this little scrap of tissue might increase the number - but it was not to be.  The moth is common throughout the UK though it is thinly distributed in North Yorkshire so it is good to be able to report that there have been two sightings in Coxwold.  Aethes refers to 'unusual' or 'strange'; the second part of the scientific name is in honour of H. Smeathman (1750 -87) a British entomologist whose main area of studies was termites.   

Celypha lacunana

The Common Marble is the name that is sometimes given to Celypha lacunana.  This moth proved too difficult to identify without Charlie Fletcher's help. It is so variable in colour that I am not certain I would be able to identify it when it next comes along, for it is very common throughout the United Kingdom.  Our other examples have all presented themselves differently.

Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacantha)

The Green-brindled Crescent is much easier to identify, as long as it retains the sprinkling of green on its wings.  Green is a delightful colour in the moth world but it tends to fade quickly.

Green-brindled Crescent (illustration)

The illustration from British Moths and their Transformations by Humphreys and Westwood is a pretty accurate record.

Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana)

The final moth in this group was found in last night's trap which contained a Snout, a Rosy Rustic and the Green Brindled Crescent.  The Garden Rose Tortrix varies a little in how the pattern and colour appear on the wings and it is only the second to be recorded here.  No midges, no sexton beetles, no water boatmen - it was all too cold.  What will the equinox bring?