Fluttery

My sister hates moths. I mean, really, really hates them. You can freak her out just by suggesting that there's one in the same room as her. Me, I think they're quite fascinating. As long as they don't try and fly into my ear whilst I'm asleep.


I found this one this morning, hiding around the back of the SausageDog's glucosamine, chondroitin and omega 3 pills.* It's probably an inch and a quarter long (3cms in the new money).

We've recently splashed out on one of those UV light fly zappers, the Horse Doctor and I. With the damp but warm weather we've been having, the kitchen was increasingly becoming a playroom for flies and I've long since grown tired of walking inadvertently into the flypaper hanging from the ceiling. Now we sit of an evening listening to the satisfying crack of the electricity as it arcs through insect bodies like a lightning strike.

I do have to remember to shut the kitchen window before dusk, however. Otherwise the pale blue light attracts hundreds of moths from outside, where they're frankly not doing anyone any harm, and into the machine of death. A fly zapped falls to the collecting tray underneath, dead in an instant and good riddance. A moth tends to get stuck to the wires, cooking slowly as a billion volts courses through its hairy body and filling the room with a horrible burnt stench. Too many and the smoke alarm goes off.



This particular beastie has the most amazing quiff. I tried to identify it on the aptly named UKMoths website, but alas their search function didn't come up with an answer before my enthusiasm ran out.** So if there are any budding lepidopterists out there, do let me know what you think it is.

* having watched the DevilDog go from madly running beastie to barely able to get up and go for a pee through the ravages of arthritis, I'm not taking any chances with Mac. He gets occasional twinges in his shoulders, and so is on low level dosage for the rest of his life. So far it seems to be working. I'm tempted to take them myself.
** i.e. immediately.


Comments

Ellen said…
I'm with your sister on the moths. They are fine from afar, but please, keep them outside and/or away from me! The tick photos bothered me less than the moth photos!

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