-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
North London Noctuid ? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter KenM
- Start date
Could it be a worn Small Square Spot, Ken?
KenM
Well-known member
I honestly don't know Graham (worn being the operative word in this case).
I've always assumed rightly or wrongly, that wings are ''shown'' as either a left over, or a right, or as in this case equally parted and are thus set in stone as far as the closed wing is concerned.
I don't know if there is any positional variability on deportment of said wings?
Cheers
richardjbartlett
Well-known member
It's clearly one of the Amphipyra agg. either Copper Underwing or Svensson's Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidea / berbera).
KenM
Well-known member
Cheers Richard :t:
honeym
Well-known member
The way moths hold their wings is not 'set in stone' - there is no left over right, or right over left that could be sed to distinguish one moth from another (in fact the same moth may show both if kept for a while.
That said, certain subfamilies exhibit a 'general' pattern as far as the wings are concerned. For example, the old subfamily Noctuinae (Euxoa, Agrotis, Noctua, Xestia, etc.) ten to sit at rest with the wings held flat over the body and overlapping slightly. Other noctuids (e.g. Hadena, Mythimna, Thalpophila, etc.), will hold their wings tentiform. Others are less tentiform but delta-shaped.
Similar comments can be made about geometrids (which rest with the wings held delta-shaped (many Larentiines), flat at right angles to the body (Pugs, etc.), or upright (e.g. the Thorns).
The main thing is that there is no hard and fast rule - just generalities.
Hope this helps.
Martin
Similar threads
