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Wintering herald moth. Piusa caves

 

 

 

In an old-fashioned cellar apples, preserves and root vegetables usually keep well and the conditions suit winter guests too: on the walls or ceiling we may notice light-winged herald moths and tissue moths with darker wings: a good place to survive the winter peacefully. For insect enthusiasts cellars, caves, old shelters and even wells almost always offer something interesting. If you are still only a beginner in getting acquainted with invertebrates you can find exciting things already in your home cellar.

 

Herald moths are fairly common, and one of the few butterfly species who winter in our cellars in the adult stage. Among butterflies they count as long-lived since they can live more than a year. The second generation of this year's imagos were hatched in July and they were still flying on the first days of November in this amazingly warm autumn (otherwise they generally find their wintering places in October). Quite a colourful moth; the hind wings are grey and the average wing span is 45 millimetres.

 

The tissue moth has dark wings; it is a little smaller than the herald moth and the second generation of adults can be seen flying in August.

 

Photo Veljo Runnel

See also: LINK

 

Tissue moth