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Edward Troup - 18 July 2015
Hi, I'm struggling to identify a 3cm long chocolate coloured moth found in our shed in Kent. I have a photo of it (wings closed) if there's anyone who can help.
Edward Troup
Reply from Ian@ukmoths:

Hi Edward, you can send me a photo at and I'd be happy to take a look.

Jenny Salmon - 16 July 2015
Very useful site,I have found out what moth I have,found as a crystalist I have keep it in a safe place till it formed to this beautiful moth.It as not yet tried to fly yet.Going to search sites to find if I can find out how long it will take for it to fly,.
Luke - 10 July 2015
Hi,

I found a swallow tailed moth which looks quite injured (possibly a cat got hold of it). I've put it in a large flower vase with some gaps for air in the hopes I can keep it alive for a while. I read the article on it and was quite surprised that I found one as I am in no way an enthusiast but I was just wondering what it eats as there is no ivy around. Could you elaborate as to which plants and shrubs please, describe the differences between male and female if possible and also is there anything else I need to do to keep it comfortable.

Thanks,

Luke
Reply from Ian@ukmoths:

Hi Luke, the kindest thing you can do is release it back into the wild.  Adult Swallow-tailed moths don't feed much, if at all - their larvae feed on ivy though.

Jennie Weller-Poley - 8 July 2015
Fantastic website to help me identify the beautiful moths I see around our home. Thank you for putting it together to help people like me!
Kevin Carpenter - 7 July 2015
Gypsy Moth

Web site says they were eradicated from the London area.

How was that done ?

Would like to be done with them here in the states.
Mark McDonald - 6 July 2015
Hi.

Just wanted to say thanks for helping me identify an Angle Shades moth that I saw today. I went on to the Butterfly Conservation site, ( I am a member ), but couldn't find it. Your site was great.

Best wishes,

Mark
New moth-er - 5 July 2015
Brilliant site, invaluable for people new to moths. I've been using it for a while now, to identify the occasional day-flying moths I've come across, but have now succumbed to a moth trap. The variety found in my garden is fascinating. Your keyword search is very helpful, and has enabled me to track down a good variety of species before I knew anything about moth families. It also whetted my appetite for more moths, and to learn more, and I have now bought a number of moth books - but the online searchable resources are still very useful too.

Just one small suggestion, should you do some upgrading. It would be handy to be able to type the next search in without having to hit 'new search' - I keep accidentally typing in the 'name' box instead, and wondering why it hasn't worked, and then forget and do the same thing again every time I come back.
Tim - 3 July 2015
My cat brought in what I think was a moth it was quite large but I've never seen anything like it before
Reply from Ian@ukmoths:

May be one of the Hawk-moths, Tim..

Hilary Murphy - 2 July 2015
Hi
I have always been interested in nature, mostly birds (if I'm allowed to mention such creatures here!!), but have recently started to notice moths more and have found your site easy to use and very informative. Love the keyword finder.
Many thanks for making moths accessible
Hilary
Rebecca Hallihan - 30 June 2015
Just found a Red Underwing in Bridgend, South Wales. Isn't it a bit early for them?
Reply from Ian@ukmoths:

A bit, yes, but traditional flight times are going out of the window somewhat with the climate changing as it is...

Dave Garthwaite - 30 June 2015
Many thanks for the website. Easy to use. Informative. And I managed to identify a hummingbird hawk moth and a magpie moth all in the same day: lucky me thanks again Ian. Off to the book section now cheers. I'm a qualified arborist and horticulturalist by the way, so I'll look forward to using the site again! 👍 cheers mate
Helen Willison - 28 June 2015
Yesterday in my garden,during the day,vI saw what I thought was an orange underwing but I have now read that they fly in early spring. Is there any another moth that it could have been? Sorry that I was unable to get a photo. I live in North Notts.
Reply from Ian@ukmoths:

Quite possibly a Large Yellow Underwing, which does have 'Orange' underwings  actually.

sarah hall - 27 June 2015
Saw a hummingbird hawk moth 26 june in Newcastle upon Tyne. V pretty. Is it rare?
Reply from Ian@ukmoths:

Hi Sarah, not 'rare' as such, but not a bad record at all, especially so far north.

Ian haydon - 16 June 2015
Just had a lovely lime hawk moth in our back garden. Beautiful.
I Meadows - 14 June 2015
Found white plume moth on house wall (Nottingham). Was easy to identify form this site.
Malcolm - 9 June 2015
Have what I think is a Hawk moth in our garden. It`s been hanging on a small fir tree for a couple of days now and looks like a crumpled leaf until it opens it`s wings. Has it just emerged or is it dying?
Philip Osso - 5 June 2015
Since the introdution of the new numbering system the navigation on this website has become an absolute pain! Whilst I appreciate classification changes and species get put into new groups surely it would be best to retain the BF numbering (often can be memorised whereas the new numbering ?... not a cat in hells)to maintain some contenuity in the previous / next species buttons which seem to jump about randomly and don't help the user when he's using this site to cross reference his own tables


Reply from Ian@ukmoths:

Sorry it doesnt suit you. It was a lot of work to implement too; it's not easy to manage multiple numbering systems.  I chose to use the new checklist system as the primary system to align with modern and forthcoming publications and other media.

kathryn hose - 28 April 2015
Thank you very much your site was helpful to me I identified a striped hawk moth to be the one I found outside. I helped him out of a spider web. I am not in Britain though. I found this moth in Lodi California in the u.s.a. just wanted to say thanks.
Sincerely,
Kathy Hose


Jonathan Piers Tyler - 13 April 2015
Dear Ian, no need for a reply, but your site is superb, easy to navigate, excellent info and maps, indeed all that anyone with an interest in moths could ever wish for. My interest is in day-flying spp.
Sue - 5 April 2015
Thank you, so helpful - I just saw my first Herald Moth ever, identified from your website. We are in the Forest of Dean, for your information.
Kind regards,
Sue
Marc Botham - 24 November 2014
Hi,

For Sussex Emerald you have main host-plant as Yarrow but I always thought it was Wild Carrot, at least in the UK. Should Wild Carrot at least be listed since that is what it is known to largely feed on. Best wishes, Marc

Thanks Marc, I've updated the species account now. Regards, Ian.

Roger Leeke - 19 October 2014
Dear Sirs,
Just a note to say that I came across a male specimen of Arctia caja (Garden Tiger) today 19.10.2014 somewhat battered as had been trodden on at top of beach at Poppit Sands, Dyfed, SN 1548. Extremely late ! Also the first I have seen in West Wales and have been living here for ten years. Although did record a Scarlet Tiger in my garden at Glandwr earlier in the year also a first for me in this locality.
Brilliant web site use it all the time.
Regards, Roger Leeke
Valerie Taylor - 8 October 2014
Bingo! I managed to identify my moth having keyworded 'scallop'

The Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix, mine was indoors in December, brightly golden-coloured

thank you, yours is a really useful and user-friendly website.
Nicola Dewfall - 30 September 2014
I have found a caterpillar in the garden I haven't seen before. In fact I thought it was a crumpled dried leaf! Is it possible to send you a photo so that you might be able to identify it for me? Looking through moth pictures, the nearest I can find is a Dot Moth.
Nicola
Claire M - 21 September 2014
Hi, i was wondering what the correct method was for measuring wingspan. I have got what I'm pretty sure is a grey arches in my kitchen. The width across its wings at the widest point is about 30mm when at rest but on the website it says 45-55mm. I suspect there is a particular way of measuring wingspan. Thanks
Lewis Curran - 21 September 2014
Oleander Hawkmoth larvae found at Rye East Sussex. See Insects of Britain and Northern Europe on Facebook.
Carl Cater - 14 September 2014
Brought in dry items from clothes line and large moth dropped out of dish towel onto sunlounge floor.

Would identify as CONVOLVULUS HAWK MOTH. I am in Fareham, Hants and I see that someone from Fareham has submitted a photograph of one, so maybe quite common here. Have never seen such a large moth in the garden before!

SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2014
Bruce - 14 September 2014
Great site photos make identification more accessible for beginners. Will there be any t shirts and other merchandise at all?
Andrew Cleave - 12 September 2014
Will you be changing from the old Bradley and Fletcher numbering system and adopting the new scheme at any time?
Alan Curry - 1 September 2014
Ian

Just switched my attention from butterflies to moths and intrigued at the names and varieties that have visited my kitchen window in the last 10 days from Jersey Tiger to Red Underwing.

Sadly I'm not in the UK any more, but in north east Brittany, don't suppose my observations have any relevance to your studies?

Regards

Alan Curry
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