Moth Id help requested - UK south (1 Viewer)

Overread

Hunting birds with a canon

• Sep 4, 2019

• #1

So I fired up the trap and whilst I've got more to work through these two were confusing me for a while!

1 Possibly an Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria).
Whilst it doesn't look identical to the pictures it is the only one posing with that butterfly like resting pose. It also has a very faint white V shape (or at least very faint white markings).

2 Possibly a Satin Wave (Idaea subsericaeta)
I'm at least very confident in the general group, though there were a few subtle differences in the various species. Satin Wave appears to be a good fit, but I'd welcome any additional thoughts.

 

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Last edited: Sep 4, 2019

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Britseye

Well-known member

• Sep 4, 2019

• #2

I'm not yet at the level of several others on here but I'm going to hazard a guess at Sharp-angled Peacock and Common White Wave, just for fun! I haven't seen many of the former and I haven't studied their underwing pattern, but I think that's what it is? I must admit I'm a bit lazy when it comes to the Waves, but I think, without looking it up, Satin Wave has 4-bands across it, not three?

I believe the S-a P is related to the Carpets, and whilst they are one of my favourite groups, several species do have this slightly frustrating habit of holding their wings closed so you can't see the upperwing pattern.

 

honeym

Well-known member

• Sep 5, 2019

• #3

#2 is the other one of the Waves that aren't - Cabera exanthemata (Common Wave). The pectinate antennae are the give away feature.

 

Overread

Hunting birds with a canon

• Sep 6, 2019

• #4

Thanks both - I'm liking the Sharp-Angled Peakcock better, mostly because I wasn't happy with the wing shape in comparison to the Early Thorn. The Sharp-Angled looks a lot better for the lower wing especially.

Honeym - out of interest is there a reference that talks about the antennae. I've got the Waring and Townsend book and it doesn't mention pectinate antennae as a feature on the species tab (unless its mentioned elsewhere as a feature for that species). Would be good to know if there is such a reference or if its from your own field studies.

 

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Britseye

Well-known member

• Sep 6, 2019

• #5

Overread said:

Honeym - out of interest is there a reference that talks about the antennae. I've got the Waring and Townsend book and it doesn't mention pectinate antennae as a feature on the species tab (unless its mentioned elsewhere as a feature for that species). Would be good to know if there is such a reference or if its from your own field studies.

Click to expand...

Good question. I couldn't really see it on a 5-min Internet search either.

 

Overread

Hunting birds with a canon

• Sep 6, 2019

• #6

Britseye said:

Good question. I couldn't really see it on a 5-min Internet search either.

Click to expand...

These days I find that the internet is so chock full of casual level information that sometimes the higher level stuff can be darn hard to find if its there. You generally have to know where or how to look for it specifically in order to locate it. It doesn't help that sometimes its on old sites that are well used by those "in the know" and in information types that don't promote a lot of people making copy-cat sites.

 

honeym

Well-known member

• Sep 7, 2019

• #7

I should have been more clear. I was making the point that the Waves (the genera Idaea and Scopula) differ from the other waves - the Common and Common White Wave - in the male antennae (the latter two species being pectinate in the males). It's not a feature to distinguish exanthemata from pusaria.
I hope that now makes sense.
It's just the use of the same vernacular name for two completely different subfamilies of Geometridae.
Martin