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| Long Horn or Fairy Moth (Nemophora degeerella) sunbathing on a nettle. |
My Mum spotted a lovely little Moth that I thought would be great to do as it is a very impressing looking Moth. When we looked around we actually found two of these beauties sunbathing on some nettles - just to make the photography a little more challenging! From the title /\ and pictures > you'll know that today I am covering the Long Horn Moth.
So, here are the facts:
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| Despite being on nettles they were very good and sat still |
- They usually are 16-23 millimetres long this is 0.63 inches - 0.91 inches.
- The Males can have antennae which are up to 5 times their body length. This could be up to 115 millimetres!
- This makes them the longest antennae of all UK moths!
- They are seen from May to July during the daytime as they are a day flying moth.
- Their larvae feed on Birch leaf litter and we found these in a patch of mixed deciduous woodland.
- They are mostly found in Southern England, mostly found around Norfolk but there is also quite a large colony near Land's End. They can also be found as far North as Dumfries in Scotland.
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| Antennae blowing in the breeze. |
- The Long Horn Moth are also called 'fairy moths'. Their Latin name is Nemophora degeerella.
- They are found in deciduous woodlands, which are often damp. Also they are found around well wooded hedgerows and lanes.
- The Females are usually much shorter than the Males while they hardly have any antennae at all compared to the Males.
Here are some links to more information:
Hope you enjoyed,
Z.
I love that their alternative name is fairy moth, that's so sweet! I didn't know their antennae could be so long either. Great photos Zach! - Tasha
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