Noctuidae

Blair's Shoulder-knot

Lithophane leautieri

Attenborough, Nottinghamshire, England - October 2012

Blair's Shoulder-knot was first recorded in Britain in 1951on the Isle of Wight.  It has since spread widely and is now an established resident throughout England and Wales, reaching as far north as central Scotland.

Attenborough, Nottinghamshire, England - October 2012

Some individuals have a pale pink flush to their abdomen, underside of their thorax and underwings.  One advantage to photographing late emerging species is the mornings are quite chilly, often making the moths very torpid while you are emptying an overnight moth-trap. This makes it easy to examine the undersides of the moths without harming them.  The downside is that they often look half-dead in the photos!

Attenborough, Nottinghamshire, England - October 2012