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Large moth
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 5:54 pm
by Alastair Rae
I found this rather battered chap fluttering in the middle of a main road in north London.
I was tending towards Willow Beauty but maybe he's too beefy? Measuring my hand, I'd say it's about 50 mm across the base. 35 mm FW?
Re: Large moth
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:21 pm
by William
Hi Alistair,
This is quite a notable creature (I'm very jealous!), it's a male Gypsy Moth...
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=6312
It was formerly resident in the UK, but became extinct around 1900. Fortunately they seem to be making a comeback and quite a few have popped up in different places this year - worth informing your county recorder
BWs,
William
Re: Large moth
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:42 pm
by Alastair Rae
Thanks for that. I had considered Gypsy Moth because of people reporting them in traps recently but had dismissed it because I thought it was too rare!