Marbled White butterfly

2019 will be marked as the year in which I (knowingly) saw my first Marbled Whites. I am not aware of having seen these striking butterflies before, but this last summer we saw a few at Stowe Landscape Gardens and then the one above on the edge of the golf course that leads to St Enodoc church in Cornwall. 

In my previous post, I added a photo of a moth with vibrant orange underwings; and here, by contrast, is a stylish specimen that lacks the array of pigments we often associate with butterflies. It just goes to show that moths can be bright and colourful and butterflies can be... well, frankly, black and white!   

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I feel sure the tapestry hassock above from the church at St Enodoc displays a Purple Emperor, classed by many as 'His (or Her) Imperial Majesty' among our British butterflies. I have only ever seen a female... to date.

Sir John Betjeman's Cornish Slate grave at St Enodoc

Scarlet Tiger Moth

Who says moths are dull?

I have been meaning to post these moth photographs for ages. I posted the pictures on iSpot months ago, hoping for confirmation of my identification, but sadly I am still waiting. Perhaps some kind blogger will come to my aid instead!

We were at NT Trerice (such beautiful grounds...) in Cornwall back in late June when we became aware of a flutter over the flower bed. Amazingly, the insect came to rest, with forewings tightly together. We waited and watched, and to our delight, the moth eventually opened its wings, revealing the beautiful scarlet that you see in the photo above. I don't know whether the yellow marks, as opposed to the white marks, on the forewing are pale because the moth had just emerged: I had expected them to be brighter.

This was a first sighting for me and I am smitten! I hope I may get my eye in next year, and find some more... 

#mothsmatter