July 25th, 2008
pretty in pink
A couple of days ago, I deked outside during a break between rain showers, to take a look around the garden for signs of insect activity. There wasn’t much happening, but as I scanned the Evening Primroses that grow wild at the edge of one of our old fields, I noticed a moth among the petals (see below — click on all photos for larger views).
Evening Primrose Moths (Schinia Florida – Hodges 11164) are often found with their heads pressed into the center of a flower, with mouthparts feeding on nectar. You can see that in the photo just below.
They’re very striking moths — yellow with soft to brilliant pink wing markings, legs and heads. Always a nice find, making it well worth searching for them among the Evening Primroses. I should probably mention that, in the top photo, you can see that the moth’s wings are blurred. As it was a cool rainy day, the moth began fanning its wings — which is pretty much the flying insect equivalent of shivering.
