Id of UK moth

[Neil Jones]

"Graeme" <graeme at spamoff.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message news:<vhf4vum8gg2qf1 at corp.supernews.com>...
> Thanks for the ID Trevor.
> As these guide books are really quite expensive, do you think that the (soon
> to be published) Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland (Paul
> Waring, Martin Townsend, Richard Lewington) will be better?
> 
> "Trevor Boyd" <boyd at glade12.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:bf76b1$foe$1 at news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
> > The moth in question is a Dot Moth (Melanchra persicariae), widespread as
> > far north as south Scotland.  Bernard Skinner's book "Moths of the British
> > Isles" is unquestionably the best identification guide available for
>  Britain
> > and Ireland.
> >
> > Trevor Boyd
> > Butterfly Conservation Northern Ireland
> >
> >

Trevor is right Skinner is the best available and that is
unquestionable.
Skinner is the ONLY one available that does all the macro moths so it
must be the best. The book is entirely responsible for the increase in
interest in Moths in the UK. Before it was published the only guide
was (if you could get it second hand) South's book "The Moths of the
British Isles" and that was published in 1907.  When I was a kid it
was the only book and since the plates are in odd places throught the
book identifying something was not that easy. There are others like
Edward Newman's book from the 1870s or thereabouts but that is in
black and white.

The reason I think the new book will be better is that Skinner has set
specimens
which are photographed and it is not always easy to identify a live
moth.
For example the Green Arches moth has faded to gray. The new book,
however, uses paintings and these are done by Richard Lewington who is
simply one of the most superb artists around. The paintings are done
in more natural poses and I have seen some examples. They are
excellent.

I am also sure that any book with Paul Waring with one of the authors
will be very very good. The man is like a walking encyclopedia when it
comes to moths.

Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.butterflyguy.com/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn
Bog National Nature Reserve

 
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