Knapweed conch moth (Agapeta zoegana)

The numerous common names of this moth are a good lesson on the importance of scientific names. The Knapweed conch moth/ Sulphur knapweed moth/ Yellow-winged knapweed root moth/ Root borer moth (so many titles!) is a Eurasian moth so, naturally, you can find it across Europe and Asia. It is a brilliant banana yellow patterned with chestnut brown marks. I personally think that these markings, when seen from above, give the impression of a rabbit-like face!

Straw dot moth (Rivula sericealis)

When I saw this moth several things came to mind. Pencil shavings. A regal individual wearing a huge cloak when the moth’s head is pointing up. A tribal mask when it is pointing down. The straw dot moth feeds on various grasses and is becoming scarcer in the northern half of Britain. I came across this individual whilst doing a butterfly transect at the London Wildlife Trust’s Saltbox Hill nature reserve, as part of the Brilliant Butterflies project.

Mint moth (Pyrausta purpuralis)

The mint moth is a delicate thing. Small and extremely skittish, you have to be patient if you want a photo of it. As can be guessed from its name the mint moth uses mints as a food plant, as well as some other herbs like marjoram and lemon balm. The mint moth has a burgundy upper wing with sunshine-orange spots which has led to its other common name “Small purple and gold”. These spots are useful as they help us differentiate the mint moth from a very similar-looking species, the “Common purple and gold” (Pyrausta aurata).

Straw grass veneer moth (Agriphila straminella)

As I walked through various grassland areas, I would often disturb a large number of grass moths. One of them was the Straw grass veneer moth, which caught our eye with the large protrusion on its head. We came up with our own common name for it, the Dumbo moth. We also commented that the protrusion looked like a musical instrument- it was thus dubbed the trumpet moth and eventually “the Louis Armstrong moth”. Scientific? No. Fun and appealing? Yes! I mention this only because I think that enjoying what you’re coming across is often just as important as learning the actual science behind it. Letting people engage with nature in their own way helps create a personal connection to what they see, and personal connections lead to more people becoming invested in the world around them, something that is especially important during the current climate – and also in a city like London.

White-shouldered house moths (WSHM) are known to be an occasional nuisance. Of the 2500 species of moths we have in Britain they are one of only a few that have any impact on humans and, unfortunately, humans themselves have exacerbated these impacts. The WSHM was originally found in Europe and Asia. As humans moved around the world – to trade with or colonise different populations- they took dried goods with them not realising that they had taken some very small acquaintances along with them too, thus spreading the WSHM around the world. It can now be found across the majority of the globe and is common because it is a synanthrope- a wild organism that directly benefits from human activity (dried fruits? Grains and cereals? Tubers? Old textiles? All delicious to this moth!) - which is why we often find it in our homes.

Yes, for some people they are a nuisance however I think they’re cool because of some very interesting appendages on their head. When I took this photo of the WSHM I studied it and saw what appeared to be curved horns sprouting out of its snow-white head. Horns! With some research, I found out these were not horns but something called labial palps. Microscopic hairs cover these palps and it is believed that they help the WSHM and other Lepidoptera identify whether something is edible. How cool!