Wee beastie # 54 – Clothes moth? and 52 Pick up challenge: Bokeh

I saw this stunning coloured moth near the pond the other day. It was only about a centimetre (half an inch) long, but the shimmering bronze feathery wings were so dramatic in the sunshine. I photographed it and went back to look it up. I typed in what I thought would be pertinent descriptive key words, such as “bronze,” “shimmer,” “shiny,” and “beautiful” but came up with no images that matched my special creature. But then, looking through my Nature book, the closest image I found was that of a Clothes Moth! As in “common” and “pest” and “clothes eater” (at least, its larvae eat holes in clothing).

This voluptuous creature is the reason moth balls were invented.

Incredible!

I also like the softness of the background – especially in the first image – so I think this classifies as “bokeh”? And for that reason I want to add it to Print-Sense Photography’s 52 Pick-up photo challenge for “Bokeh” this week.

PS. They look a lot clearer if you click on the actual images.

© Alice through the Macro Lens [2012]

Bug-a-day #29

Cheating again with an oldie but goodie.

I used these two Lime Hawk Moths locked in a loving clinch for one of my first ever posts.

After they finished clinching, they posed very politely for a more appropriately positioned picture:

 

© Alice through the Macro Lens [2012]

Bug-a-day #28 – Drain fly

This, believe it or not, has been one of the most frustrating little beasts to photograph so far!

I started trying to take it’s picture about two weeks ago, and since then, I’ve tried again each time I’ve been to the woods – but never managed a decent picture until today.

Firstly, it’s tiny (about 2mm from wing tip to wing tip). Secondly, it never stops moving – either flying off at the merest disturbance, or doing this very strange revolving circular dance, a bit like one of those little wind-up clockwork toys I used to have when I was younger. And thirdly, it has this unusual irridescent “furry” body cover, which screws with the focus at the best of times.

But I think patience has been a virtue in this case, and I finally achieved a reasonably acceptable picture. Click on it to see a clearer version.

I thought it was some kind of mini-moth – but it is apparently a Drain Fly.   A bit of a pest, apparently.

My thoughts entirely …

 © Alice through the Macro Lens [2012]

Bug-a-day #23 – Skipper butterfly

I cheated today, because I took this picture last year (as you may have guessed from the barley/oats that it’s resting on).

Personally, I love this picture, because there’s a glint in this little guy’s eye that seems to exude character.

As it happened, I had him labelled as a moth for all this time – probably because of the hairy look about him. However, after trawling the web for a good half hour, I finally figured out that he is actually a Large Skipper Butterfly.  He’s supposed to live a bit further south than this, which would probably explain why I’d never seen one before – but I think he’s gorgeous, and I’ll be looking around for a few more members of his clan as the weather warms up.

© Alice through the Macro Lens [2012]

Bug-a-day #9 – Burnet moth

I am not feeling too great today, so I have little incentive to write … or walk … or wax lyrical about the wonders of the woodlands.

So I have plundered the archives and found a picture I took last Summer, when I first purchased the beloved macro lens.

It is definitely a Burnet moth – I’m just not entirely sure if it’s a six-spot Burnet or a five-spot Burnet!

I guess it depends which spots you’re counting.

 © Alice through the Macro Lens [2012]

“Weekly Photo Challenge: “Unusual” #2

I found these two Lime Hawk Moths locked in a warm embrace in the middle of a pavement near our local castle. I’d never seen one of these in my life before, so had to go home and look it up. They were kind/distracted enough to wait in the same place and same position long enough for me to go home and get my camera.

To be honest, knowing my neighbourhood, I’m surprised they hadn’t been squished before I got back – but luck was on their side that day 🙂