Tiger (Moth) Time

Scarlet Tiger moth, Anglesey Abbey, Cambs.

We have been to the water mill at Anglesey Abbey on many occasions. We have often watched swans, dragonflies and damselflies. This time our eyes were averted by a fluttery flash of red: a Scarlet Tiger moth in flight. I have never seen these magnificent insects in the east of England before, and my Cornish sightings have been few and far between. 

I loaded a photo on to iSpot, and one of the other contributors to the site suggested I contact the County Moth Recorder for Cambridgeshire. I have now had the ID confirmed (not that I was really in any doubt on this occasion), but I have also learned that this species appears to be moving east and that the predominant moth on a relatively nearby fen was in fact the Scarlet Tiger. What a magnificent creature to find in National Insect Week!

Scarlet Tiger

Small Eggar (Eriogaster lanestris) larva, Anglesey Abbey

Our next sighting was less showy, but interesting nonetheless. The moth larva in the photo above floored me somewhat in terms of an ID. As you can see, it was on a pathway with pebble-sized stones, quite close to the Visitors' Centre. The photo fails to show the conifers that towered above the path. 

I had imagined that the 'blanket-stitch' edging would aid identification considerably, but I drew a blank. Once again the folk on iSpot came to my rescue, suggesting an ID of Small Eggar, a 'Nationally Scarce' category B species. I see it usually turns up in the west but that there have been sightings in Norfolk. 

Water mill on the lode at Anglesey Abbey