Winter Moth

[DrLazer]

Only one image of this moth I am afraid. I'm not sure what size moths have to be to be classed as "micro-moths" or "macro-moths". I would guess this one is a micro moth. Photographed through a 10x Nikon Achromat 0.25, Nikon SB24 for lighting and plasticine for the background.

Christmas haircut?

View attachment 186121
White Headed Moth by Craig.Taylor, on Flickr

Click the Facebook Like button! Not seen that bad-boy before.

 

[Luke]

Hey Craig,
Is that "horn" thing out front his nose? Awesome work as usual!

 

[DrLazer]

Hey Craig,
Is that "horn" thing out front his nose? Awesome work as usual!

It's the "cream-horn" duhhh

 

[DrLazer]

If you wanted a serious answer .... I believe it is a mouthpart used for sorting food before it eats it. the curly thing at the front is the proboscis, which works like a straw ... it sucks up tasty stuff and then the horn like object sorts it for digestion. Something like that anyway, I think "labial palp" or something similar is the correct name. This is the first arthropod I have ever seen with scaled mouthparts - very interesting (to me anyway)

 

[grebeman]

Craig,
Confusingly there is no hard and fast rule, so some micros are bigger than some macros. generally the micros are considered to be more primitive with many of them not having evolved a proboscis, so I guess the jury is out on that one, I wouldn't like to hazard a guess at it's identity from that excellent close up.

Barrie

 

[DrLazer]

Thanks for the info!.
I'm pretty sure it is Swammerdamia caesiella. When I read the description for that moth is meets every single characteristic. Except ..... It's not August. If the ID is correct then obviously they exist much later than the books suggest, if the ID is incorrect it must be something very similar ... as to what though, I am at a loss.

 

[Luke]

you're a cream-horn.
How many shots in this stack?

 

[DrLazer]

ermmmm .... i didnt check. Probably about 80ish I think the magnification is only around 8:1

 

[grebeman]

Thanks for the info!.
I'm pretty sure it is Swammerdamia caesiella. When I read the description for that moth is meets every single characteristic. Except ..... It's not August. If the ID is correct then obviously they exist much later than the books suggest, if the ID is incorrect it must be something very similar ... as to what though, I am at a loss.

There are normally two broods per year and the second should have pupated by the end of October to overwinter as a pupa. There have been instances of third broods of certain species due to the very mild Autumn and I would suggest that if it is this species it's more likely to be an unusual instance of a third brood.

Barrie

 

[RT_Panther]

Awesome macro work here!

 

[DrLazer]

@ Grebeman

superb and informative info. how come you're Mr. Moth then? I proper <3 moths.